Macau gaming workers down 3.1% in three-month period through October

Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) said Friday that the number of employed people in the Gaming & Junket sector between August and October was around 68,800, a decrease of 3.1% compared with the previous period (July to September).

According to the results of the DSEC’s Employment Survey, the overall unemployment rate for August to October 2023 was 2.4%, while the unemployment rate for local residents was 3.1%, both unchanged from the previous period. The underemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percentage points to 1.5%.

By industry, employment increased in the hotel and restaurant sector and in education, but decreased in the Gaming & Junket sector.

The number of employed persons in the sector was around 68,800 in August-October, down by around 2,200 or 3.1% from 71,000 in the previous period.

According to preliminary estimates based on immigration data, an average of about 96,800 Macau residents and non-resident workers worked in Macau but lived outside the territory during the reference period, while the total labor force was 476,300, an increase of 2,900 compared to the previous period.

Compared with the same period last year, the labor force participation rate, unemployment rate and underemployment rate dropped by 0.6, 1.5 and 5.0 percentage points respectively.