Employment survey for August - October 2025

MACAU, November 28 - Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the general unemployment rate (1.7%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.3%) for August - October 2025 fell by 0.1 percentage point over the previous period (July - September).

Among the unemployed residents (6,700), the majority of those searching for a new job were previously engaged in Retail Trade and the Construction sector. Besides, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job went down by 4.4 percentage points to 13.9% of the unemployed residents.

Meanwhile, the underemployment situation improved in this period, with the general underemployment rate (1.4%) and the underemployment rate of local residents (1.8%) dropping by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively from the previous period. Among the underemployed residents (5,200), the majority were working in Real Estate & Business Activities, the Construction sector and the Transport & Storage sector.

The Employment Survey covers all residential units in the Macao Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane, excluding collective living quarters such as dormitories and care homes for the elderly. Individuals living in these units are included in the survey, and therefore residents of the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR), as well as non-resident workers, who work in but live outside the Macao SAR are excluded. According to the preliminary estimates from the movement records, an average of about 108,700 Macao SAR residents and non-resident workers worked in the Macao SAR but lived outside the territory during the reference period. The total labour force, consisting of these individuals and the labour force living in the Macao SAR (383,500), increased by 1,500 from the previous period to 492,200.