A recent survey has revealed that Macau’s employees have become more confident in the labor market and job satisfaction is rising as well. However, scholar Sun Liyun points out that employees’ confidence in the job market has not been fully restored and the negative impact of the pandemic on job contentment and stability has yet to be completely eliminated.
A survey of 807 full-time employees in Macau has revealed an 11.87 percent surge in the confidence index of the city’s job market. Despite this improvement, the index is still 10.4 percent lower than it was before the COVID crisis, and 2.5 percent lower than it was in the same period in 2019. The total confidence index rose by 8.37 percent.
Amidst the pandemic, personal and company confidence saw small increases compared to pre-Covid levels. Personal confidence rose 0.8 percent, while confidence in respondents’ companies increased 3 percent.
Employees in Macau reported lower satisfaction in the current year, with the overall satisfaction index declining by 2.6 percent compared to 2019. Work quality and job stability saw particularly sharp drops, decreasing by 4.1 and 11 percent, respectively.
Conversely, salary and personal development indexes both saw an increase of 4 and 2.6 percent, respectively, showing a positive trend in the economy.
The survey researchers proposed that companies should provide their employees with more training and learning opportunities to further their professional development.
The researchers suggested that management should consider implementing a policy of openness to staff suggestions and rewarding those who provide helpful advice.
The survey was conducted by the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) on employees’ confidence and satisfaction between 24 March and 1 April.
