Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 0.8% quarter-to-quarter to MOP556 in the third quarter of 2012, but that of local construction workers decreased by 0.4% to MOP671.

Among the skilled & semi-skilled workers, average daily wages of welders (MOP669) and levellers (MOP666) increased by 13.3% and 10.0% respectively quarter-to-quarter; on the contrary, average daily wages of carpenters (MOP528) and painters (MOP531) decreased by 17.9% and 13.8% respectively, attributable to declining demand for these workers with the conclusion of tourism and gaming facilities. Moreover, the average daily wage of unskilled workers (MOP364) increased by 3.4% quarter-to-quarter.

After discounting the effect of inflation, wage index of construction workers was 86.7 in real terms, down by 0.3% quarter-to-quarter. Meanwhile, wage index of local construction workers increased by 0.6% to 100.1 in real terms, on account of rising wage indices of electricians & electrical workers and bricklayers & plasterers.

As regards construction materials, in the third quarter of 2012, the average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars (MOP5,570 per tonne) decreased by 6.5% quarter-to-quarter, while the prices of ordinary portland cement (MOP746 per tonne) and concrete (MOP437 per cubic metre) increased by 2.6% and 2.2% respectively. The price index of construction materials for residential buildings was 118.9, down by 1.5% quarter-to-quarter.