Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the unemployment rate (1.9%) and the underemployment rate (0.5%) for January-March 2016 remained stable as in December 2015-February 2016.

Total labour force was 396,600 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.3%. Total employment decreased by 1,400 from December 2015-February 2016, at 389,000. Analysed by industry, employment in Hotels & Similar Activities and Gaming & Junket Activities registered decrease.

Number of the unemployed was 7,700, up by 300 from December 2015-February 2016; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 6.3% of the total unemployed, down by 0.6 percentage points.

In the first quarter of 2016, the general unemployment rate (1.9%) remained unchanged as in the previous quarter, while the unemployment rate of local residents (2.7%) edged up by 0.1 percentage point. Total employment decreased by 4,100 quarter-to-quarter, with those aged 55-64 dropping by 1,200. Analysed by industry, employment in Construction (48,200) dropped by 2,900, while that in Restaurants & Similar Activities (27,700) rose by 1,500.

Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable as in the previous quarter, at MOP15,000 in the first quarter, with those engaging in Gaming & Junket Activities and Construction earning MOP19,500 and MOP15,000 respectively. Moreover, median earnings of the employed residents stayed unchanged from the previous quarter, at MOP18,000.