The number of people employed in Gaming & Junket Activities in Macau rose to 67,600 the three months to 31 December 2022, up 1,200 from the 66,400 employees in the September to November period but down 8,900 compared to the same quarter in 2021.
According to information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the October to December period saw Macau’s general unemployment rate fall by 0.2 percentage points to 3.5% while that of Macau residents also fell by 0.2 percentage points to 4.5%. By number, the unemployed decreased by 800 to 13,200 with DSEC stating that the majority of the unemployed searching for a new job were previously engaged in Gaming & Junket Activities and in construction.
The number of underemployed also dropped by 1,800 from the previous period to 14,400, with the majority working in Gaming & Junket Activities, Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities and the Construction sector.
The number of employees in Gaming & Junket Activities decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of leading junkets including Suncity Group and Tak Chun Group in late 2021. In 4Q19, the number of Gaming & Junket Activities employees reached 85,100, comprising 17,500 more than in the most recent quarter.
Since then, Macau has reopened its borders on 8 January with visitor numbers climbing to as high as 90,000 in a single day during the recent Chinese New Year holiday period. The influx has also highlighted a lack of manpower at many hotels and hospitality establishments, with the Macau Labour Affairs Bureau now planning to launch 17 job fairs in February, recruiting for a wide range of jobs in the hotel and catering industries, among others.
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