Macau: unemployment hits highest levels since 2012

Unemployment rate hit 2.1 per cent between January and March amid the on-going Coronavirus pandemic.

Macau.- The unemployment rate in Macau reached 2.1 per cent between January and March, the highest number since April-June 2012 the Statistics and Census Bureau has revealed.

The unemployment rate for local residents rose by 0.3 percentage points to 2.9 per cent, with the number of employed residents dropping by 3,200 to a total of 280,200 people.

Total employment numbers rose by 6,500 from the previous period to 397,400, due to the increase in non-resident workers living outside of Macau but who moved back to the city before entry restrictions were imposed on February 20.

The number of unemployed residents increased by 1,000 people from the previous period to 8,500, with an a notable increase in those working in the Transport and Storage sector.

Employment in Wholesale and Retail Trade rose by 5,700 to 49,300 workers, while decreasing by 5,200 in Restaurants and Similar Activities to 50,700.

The average monthly employment earnings in the first quarter dropped by MOP1,000 (€115) quarter-to-quarter to MOP16,000 (€1,851), while average earnings for Gaming and Junket Activities and the Construction sector stood at MOP20,000 (€2,314) and MOP14,000 (€1,619) respectively.