Employment survey for September - November 2025

MACAU, December 26 - 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 September - November 2025 remained the same as in the previous period (August - October).

Among the unemployed residents (6,700), the majority of those searching for a new job were previously engaged in Retail Trade and the Gaming sector. Besides, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job increased slightly by 0.5 percentage points to 14.4% of the unemployed residents.

Meanwhile, the general underemployment rate (1.5%) and the underemployment rate of local residents (2.0%) went up by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively over the previous period. Among the underemployed residents (5,900), the majority were working in Real Estate & Business Activities, the Transport & Storage sector and Retail Trade.

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 109,300 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 (385,600), increased by 2,700 from the previous period to 494,900.