Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 6.0% quarter-to-quarter to MOP880 in the second quarter of 2017. The average daily wage of local (MOP1,091) and non-resident construction workers (MOP775) rose by 4.4% and 3.3% respectively quarter-to-quarter.

The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers (MOP884) went up by 6.0% quarter-to-quarter owing to a significant increase of 28.0% in the average daily wage of carpenters (MOP1,309), as interior renovation of some large-scale entertainment facilities drove up the demand for carpenters. The average daily wage of plumbers (MOP864) also rose by 9.2%, while the wages of fire service mechanics (MOP994) and concrete formwork carpenters (MOP944) decreased by 7.5% and 4.2% respectively. Meanwhile, the average daily wage of unskilled workers (MOP439) grew by 1.4%.

After discounting the effect of inflation, the wage index of construction workers (113.0) for the second quarter of 2017 increased by 5.1% quarter-to-quarter in real terms, and that of local construction workers (137.4) went up by 3.2%.

As regards construction materials, the average price of concrete rose by 1.8%   quarter-to-quarter to MOP797 per cubic metre, while that of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars fell by 7.8% to MOP4,231 per tonne. The price index of construction materials for residential buildings in the second quarter of 2017 held stable as in the previous quarter, at 133.2.