Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers was MOP542 in the first quarter of 2009, up by 3.0% quarter-to-quarter. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers rose by 1.5% to MOP557, of which structural iron erectors (MOP707), plant operators (MOP667) and concrete formwork carpenters (MOP643) were earning higher average wages; meanwhile, the average daily wage of unskilled workers (MOP344) registered a decrease of 3.9%.

After discounting the effect of inflation, the wage index of construction workers for the first quarter of 2009 was 96.8 in real terms, up slightly by 1.0% over the previous quarter.

As regards construction materials, the average price of spiral and round reinforcing steel bars continued its downward trend from the last quarter, falling sharply by 15.9% quarter-to-quarter to MOP5,127 per tonne, and that of concrete declined slightly by 0.6% to MOP317 per cubic metre; however, the average price of cement registered an increase of 4.2%, at MOP651 per tonne.

In the first quarter of 2009, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings dropped further by 8.9% quarter-to-quarter to 127.2. Compared with the same quarter of 2008, the price index registered a decrease of 10.8%, owing to a 20.1% and 29.8% plunge in the price indices of steel and electric wires; besides, the price indices of aluminium and concrete went down by 12.4% and 3.6% respectively.