Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for October-December 2011 was 2.1%, down by 0.2 percentage point over the previous period (September-November 2011); the underemployment rate also decreased by 0.2 percentage point to 0.9%.

Total labour force was 347,000 in October-December 2011 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.9%, up by 0.4 percentage point from the previous period.

Total employment was 340,000, up notably by 3,300 over the previous period. Analyzed by industry, employment of the Gaming Sector and the Hotel Sector saw increase, while that of Restaurants & Similar Activities and Retail Trade registered decrease.

Number of the unemployed decreased by 600 from the previous period to 7,400, with 12.4% being fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, down by 2.9 percentage points over the previous period.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, total labour force increased by 2,900 quarter-to-quarter, with total employment registering an increase of 4,400; meanwhile, number of the underemployed and the unemployed decreased by 600 and 1,500 respectively quarter-to-quarter.

The unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of 2011 dropped by 0.5 percentage point from 2.6% in the third quarter, and the unemployment rate of local residents decreased by 0.6 percentage point to 2.7%. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable as the third quarter, at MOP10,000; median earnings of local residents amounted to MOP12,000 in the fourth quarter, up by MOP1,000 quarter-to-quarter.

For the whole year of 2011, the unemployment rate was 2.5% and the unemployment rate of local residents was 3.2%, both down by 0.3 percentage point over 2010.