Macau's general unemployment rate and local residents' jobless rate of local residents for August-October remained unchanged at 2.9 percent and 4.1 percent respectively compared with the previous survey period (July-September), the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) announced today. 

The general unemployment rate comprises non-resident workers and local residents. 

The underemployment rate increased by 0.5 percentage points to 5.2 percent, while the labour force participation rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 70.0 percent. 

There were 398,900 people in the labour force. When including the number of local residents and non-resident workers who worked in Macau but lived outside the special administrative region (SAR), the total labour force stood at 481,000, down by 900 from the previous period.

The number of employed persons living in Macau decreased by 4,700 from the previous period to 387,100, on account of a drop in the number of non-resident workers living in Macau. 

The number of employed residents totalled 277,300, down by 200. The number of employed persons by gaming and junket businesses as well as hotels decreased, while those working in the transport and storage sector rose. 

The number of unemployed dipped by 100 from the previous period to 11,700. Among the unemployed searching for a new job, most were previously employed by the gaming and junket sector and retail trade. 

Meanwhile, the proportion of new labour market entrants looking for their first job increased by 0.6 percentage points to 18.0 percent of the total unemployed.

The number of underemployed rose by 1,800 to 20,800, with the majority working in the gaming, junket and hotel sectors. 

In comparison with August-October 2019, the underemployment rate and the unemployment rate increased by 4.7 and 1.1 percentage points respectively, while the labour force participation rate dropped by 0.1 percentage point.