Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the unemployment rate (1.9%) and the underemployment rate (0.5%) for April-June 2016 remained stable as in March-May 2016.

Total labour force was 397,800 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.3%. Total employment increased by 1,800 from March-May, at 390,400. Number of the unemployed was 7,400, down by 200; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 9.0% of the total unemployed, up by 3.9 percentage points.

In the second quarter of 2016, the general unemployment rate (1.9%) remained unchanged as in the previous quarter, while the unemployment rate of local residents (2.6%) decreased by 0.1 percentage point. Total employment increased by 1,400 quarter-to-quarter, with those aged 35-44 rising by 1,200. Analysed by industry, employment in Gaming & Junket Activities (83,600) rose by 3,000, while that in Restaurants & Similar Activities (26,200) dropped by 1,500.

Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable as in the previous quarter, at MOP15,000 in the second quarter, with those engaging in Gaming & Junket Activities and Construction earning MOP19,000 and MOP15,000 respectively. Moreover, median earnings of the employed residents stayed unchanged from the previous quarter, at MOP18,000.