Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | January 2012 24 (see Table 2 above). However, in 3Q 2011 those equivalent groups accounted for 115,200 of the 345,000 registered employed population—only 33% of the total, according to DSEC. In other words, only around a third of Macau’s workers are liable to pay income tax. This number is subject to some error plus or minus, given that it’s based on median wages rather than an analysis of all salary bands in all industries, and not completely equivalent occupation groups. In Hong Kong in the second quarter of 2011 (the most recent figures available), only one occupation group—professional and business services—out of eight occupations listed had median wages falling below the HK$9,000 per month threshold for salaries tax (see Table 3 above). The relatively high threshold for tax in Macau and the numbers falling below that threshold appears to be both an indicator of Macau’s relatively low level of social development (with a larger number—as a percentage of the population—of lightly- educated people doing low-skilled, low- paid work compared to neighbouring Hong Kong, as per Table 4) and also an indicator of the Macau government’s paternalism. Macau seeks to protect low-paid people Macau Policy Manufacturing Electricity, gas and water supply (‘000) Construction (‘000) Wholesale and retail trade (‘000) Hotels, restaurants and similar activities (‘000) Transport, storage and communica- tions (‘000) Financial inter- mediation (‘000) Real estate and business activities (‘000) Public admin- istration and social security (‘000) Recreational, cultural, gam- ing and other services (‘000) Source: DSEC, Macau Table 2. Macau employed population by industry 2011 Qtr 1 14.1 1.4 27.6 44.6 45.5 15.7 7.7 28.9 23.2 76.9 Qtr 2 13.5 1.3 27.1 44.7 43.0 16.5 7.8 31.9 22.5 80.9 Qtr 3 14.0 1.3 27.1 46.7 46.0 17.7 8.3 28.5 22.8 82.8 Table 3. Average Hong Kong monthly wage rates analysed by industry section, 2Q 2011 (HK$) Manufacturing 10,911 Import/export, wholesale and retail trades 15,620 Transportation 15,603 Accommodation and food service activities 10,334 Financial and insurance activities 18,877 Real estate leasing and maintenance management 10,027 Professional and business services 8,439 Personal services 12,603 All selected industry sections 12,738 Source: Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Source: General Household Survey, Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Table 4. Poverty and social development indicators in Hong Kong 45 42.4 36.3 15-19 20-24 25-59 15-59 40.0 33.0 41.8 35.1 28.9 31.2 28.7 6.0 4.5 4.1 5.2 4.6 7.1 7.0 5.8 5.4 9.7 6.5 11.9 8.0 7.2 8.2 5.9 5.3 9.5 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 6.8 6.1 9.1 7.0 6.3 10.8 8.4 7.6 7.0 6.8 6.3 29.0 % 7.1 Proportion of employed persons working 35 hours or above per week and with monthly employment earnings less than 50% of the median by age group Age group