According to the Statistics and Census Service’s latest employment survey, the gaming sector, which remains Macau’s largest employer, saw the number of employed residents decline by 2,200 to 65,100 in 1Q25.
The trend aligns with the general employment pattern, with total employment decreasing to 371,800 in the first quarter of 2025, representing a drop of 6,500 compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. The number of employed residents also fell by 5,800 to 280,200 during the same period.
The data also show that in Macau, both the general unemployment rate of 1.9 percent and the unemployment rate of local residents of 2.5 percent rose by 0.2 percentage points quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2025.
Meanwhile, the general underemployment rate of 1.2 percent and the underemployment rate of local residents of 1.6 percent each decreased by 0.3 percentage points.
Despite the employment decline, the median monthly employment earnings showed improvement. The overall median earnings increased by MOP800 ($100) to MOP18,800 ($2,350), while median earnings for residents rose by MOP1,000 ($125) to MOP21,500 ($2,687). This increase was attributed to double pay and bonuses distributed to employees in certain industries during the quarter.
