Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for January-March 2013 held stable at 1.9% in comparison with the previous period (December 2012-February 2013); the underemployment rate was 0.7%, up by 0.1 percentage point.

Total labour force was 359,000 and the labour force participation rate stood at 71.9%. Total employment reached 352,000, an increase of 1,200 from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in Wholesale Trade and Recreational, Cultural, Gaming & Other Services saw increase.

Number of the unemployed increased by 100 from the previous period to 6,800; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 6.2% of the total unemployed, down by 0.8 percentage points.

In the first quarter of 2013, the general unemployment rate remained unchanged as the previous quarter at 1.9%; the unemployment rate of local residents was 2.5%, up by 0.1 percentage point. Total labour force increased by 1,900 quarter-to-quarter, with total employment and the unemployed rising by 1,700 and 200 respectively.

Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable at MOP12,000 in the first quarter of 2013, while that of the employed local residents amounted to MOP14,500, an increase of MOP1,500 quarter-to-quarter.