Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers was MOP619 in the fourth quarter of 2010, up by 13.8% quarter-to-quarter. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers (MOP638) rose by 9.4%, and that of unskilled workers (MOP363) went up by 3.4%. Among the skilled & semi-skilled workers, electricians & electrical workers (MOP762), welders (MOP711), fire service mechanics (MOP675) and truck drivers (MOP670) were earning higher average wages.

After discounting the effect of inflation, the wage index of construction workers for the fourth quarter of 2010 was 101.5 in real terms, up by 5.0% over the previous quarter. For the whole year of 2010, the average wage index of construction workers (96.5) decreased by 0.8% year-on-year in real terms.

As regards construction materials, the average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars increased by 10.7% quarter-to-quarter to MOP4,992 per tonne, and that of Portland cement rose by 0.5% to MOP646 per tonne; moreover, the average price of concrete also registered an increase of 1.0%, at MOP311 per cubic metre.

In the fourth quarter of 2010, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings rose by 6.7% quarter-to-quarter to 144.1; in particular, the price indices of electric wires and steel increased by 17.5% and 8.3% respectively, and the price indices of pipes and timber also went up by 3.0% and 2.9%. Compared with the same quarter of 2009, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings registered an increase of 13.8%.

In 2010, the average price index of construction materials for residential buildings (137.5) increased by 9.8% year-on-year.