Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the general unemployment rate (3.1%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (4.1%) for October-December 2021 increased by 0.3 percentage points from the previous period (September-November 2021). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points to 4.0%.

The labour force living in Macao totalled 389,000 and the labour force participation rate was 69.0%. Total employment was 377,100 and the number of employed residents totalled 282,500, up by 1,200 and 1,600 respectively from the previous period.

Number of the unemployed increased by 900 from the previous period to 11,900. Among the unemployed searching for a new job, most of them were previously engaged in Gaming & Junket Activities and in the Construction sector. Meanwhile, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job decreased by 2.3 percentage points to 10.8% of the total unemployed.

Number of the underemployed decreased by 1,100 from the previous period to 15,700, with a notable drop in the number of those engaged in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities.

The Employment Survey covers all residential units in the Macao Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane, excluding collective living quarters such as dormitories and care homes for the elderly. Individuals living in these units are included in the survey, and therefore Macao residents and non-resident workers who work in Macao but live outside the territory are excluded. According to the preliminary estimates from the movement records, an average of about 86,100 Macao residents and non-resident workers worked in Macao but lived outside the territory during the reference period; when including these individuals, total labour force was 475,100, an increase of 4,000 from the previous period.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, both the general unemployment rate (3.1%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (4.1%) increased by 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter. Total employment grew by 1,500 quarter-to-quarter; number of employed residents rose by 3,300, attributable to an increase in the demand for local manpower which was driven by the hosting of a number of large events at the end of the year. Analysed by industry, employment in Retail Trade (34,500) and the Construction sector (33,500) went up by 1,800 and 1,600 respectively quarter-to-quarter, while that in Gaming & Junket Activities (76,500) dropped by 3,600. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed decreased by MOP400 quarter-to-quarter to MOP15,600, whereas those of the employed residents remained unchanged at MOP20,000.

For the whole year of 2021, the general unemployment rate was 2.9% and the unemployment rate of local residents stood at 3.9%, up by 0.4 and 0.3 percentage points respectively year-on-year. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed were MOP15,800, while earnings of the employed residents stood at MOP20,000. As regards household employment indicators, the average number of employed persons per household was 1.6 in 2021, the same as in 2020; median monthly employment earnings per household increased by MOP500 year-on-year to MOP28,000.