Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 1.0% quarter-to-quarter to MOP746 in the first quarter of 2021. The average daily wage of local workers (MOP953) and non-resident workers (MOP626) went up by 1.5% and 0.9% respectively.

In terms of main occupations, the average daily wages of concrete formwork carpenters (MOP829), structural iron erectors (MOP832) and bricklayers & plasterers (MOP713) rose by 10.0%, 9.4% and 3.5% respectively quarter-to-quarter, while the wages of carpenters (MOP749), painters (MOP767) and water/gas pipe installers (MOP749) fell by 9.9%, 8.6% and 2.0% respectively.

After discounting the effect of inflation, the real wage index of construction workers (91.7) in the first quarter of 2021 inched down by 0.1% quarter-to-quarter, with that of local construction workers (90.4) decreasing by 1.5%.

As regards construction materials, the average prices of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars (MOP5,558 per tonne) and concrete (MOP1,023 per cubic metre) in the first quarter of 2021 increased by 7.4% and 2.0% respectively quarter-to-quarter. The price index of construction materials for residential buildings rose by 2.3% quarter-to-quarter to 115.2; the price indices of steel and aggregate grew by 7.1% and 4.5% respectively, whereas the price index of marble dropped by 5.9%.