Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 2.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP583 in the fourth quarter of 2011. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers (MOP593) rose by 2.1%, and that of unskilled workers (MOP366) went up by 0.8%. Analyzed by occupations, average daily wages of electricians & electrical workers (MOP627) and carpenters (MOP526) increased by 11.4% and 2.1% respectively over the previous quarter; however, wage of structural iron erectors (MOP617) decreased by 8.0%.

After discounting the effect of inflation, wage index of construction workers was 90.5 in real terms, down by 1.6% quarter-to-quarter. For the whole year of 2011, the average wage index of construction workers (92.6) decreased by 4.0% over 2010 in real terms.

As regards construction materials, price increase tapered off in the fourth quarter of 2011. The increment of the average price of concrete dropped from 16.1% in the third quarter to 0.5% in the fourth quarter, at MOP406 per cubic metre; that of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars also fell from 3.8% to 1.5%, at MOP6,141 per tonne.

The price index of construction materials for residential buildings rose slightly by 0.3% quarter-to-quarter to 119.6 in the fourth quarter of 2011; in particular, price indices of steel and ceramic paving & wall tiles both increased by 1.6%, while price indice of electric wire went down by 3.0%. Compared with the same quarter of 2010, price index of construction materials for residential buildings registered an increase of 15.3%.

In 2011, the average price index of construction materials for residential buildings (116.0) increased by 16.0% year-on-year.