Nearly 69,100 people were employed in Macau’s gaming industry between September and November, accounting for about 25.8 percent of the city’s employed residents, official figures showed.
The sector remains the backbone of the labour market as overall unemployment held steady at historic lows.
Data published by the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) shows the general unemployment rate was unchanged at 1.7 percent, while the rate among local residents stood at 2.3 percent. The underemployment rate edged up to 1.5 percent overall and 2.0 percent for residents.
Employment in gaming was broadly stable compared with the previous period, while wholesale and retail trade slipped to 43,600 workers, or 13 percent of employed residents. Hotels, construction and restaurants recorded little change.
The employed population reached 378,900, with the total labour force rising to 494,900 after including around 109,300 residents and non-resident workers who commute from outside Macau.
Among the 6,700 unemployed residents, most had previously worked in retail or gaming. First-time jobseekers accounted for 14.4 percent of the unemployed, up 0.5 percentage points.
DSEC noted that underemployed residents, numbering 5,900, were concentrated in real estate, transport and retail.
