The unemployment rate in Macau edged down to 1.7% in January 2026 from 1.8% in the previous month. The number of unemployed persons decreased by 300 month-on-month to 6,500, while total employment contracted by 400 to 378,900. Job gains were recorded in gaming, wholesale and retail trade, real estate, hotels and related services, and restaurants, while the construction sector saw a decline in employment. The labor force participation rate edged down to 67.1% from 67.2% in the previous two months. The male participation rate remained unchanged at 69.2%, while the female participation rate ticked lower to 65.4% from 65.5%. source: Statistics and Census Service, Government of Macao SAR

Unemployment Rate in Macau decreased to 1.70 percent in January from 1.80 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Macau averaged 3.38 percent from 1996 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 7.10 percent in June of 2000 and a record low of 1.60 percent in January of 2025. This page provides the latest reported value for - Macao Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Macau Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Macau decreased to 1.70 percent in January from 1.80 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Macau is expected to be 1.80 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Macau Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 2.00 percent in 2027 and 2.10 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-30 08:40 AM
Unemployment Rate
Dec 1.8% 1.7% 2.10%
2026-03-02 10:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 1.7% 1.8% 1.8%
2026-03-27 10:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 1.7%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 378.90 379.30 Thousand Jan 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate 67.10 67.20 percent Jan 2026
Population 0.69 0.68 Million Dec 2024
Unemployed Persons 6.50 6.80 Thousand Jan 2026
Unemployment Rate 1.70 1.80 percent Jan 2026
Wages 17300.00 17000.00 MOP/Monthly Dec 2025
Wages in Manufacturing 10000.00 12000.00 MOP/Monthly Dec 2025


Macau Unemployment Rate
In Macau, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
1.70 1.80 7.10 1.60 1996 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
Macau Unemployment Rate Ticks Down to 1.7%
The unemployment rate in Macau edged down to 1.7% in January 2026 from 1.8% in the previous month. The number of unemployed persons decreased by 300 month-on-month to 6,500, while total employment contracted by 400 to 378,900. Job gains were recorded in gaming, wholesale and retail trade, real estate, hotels and related services, and restaurants, while the construction sector saw a decline in employment. The labor force participation rate edged down to 67.1% from 67.2% in the previous two months. The male participation rate remained unchanged at 69.2%, while the female participation rate ticked lower to 65.4% from 65.5%.
2026-03-02
Macau Unemployment Rate Ticks Up to 1.8% in December
The unemployment rate in Macau edged up to 1.8% in December 2025 from 1.7% in each of the previous two months. The number of unemployed persons rose slightly by 100 month-on-month to 6,800, while total employment increased by 400 to 379,300. Job gains were recorded in gaming, wholesale and retail trade, hotels and related services, as well as restaurants and similar activities, while the construction sector shed jobs. The labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 67.2%. The male participation rate inched lower to 69.2% from 69.4% in November, while the female participation rate was steady at 65.5%.
2026-01-30
Macau Unemployment Holds at 1.7%
The unemployment rate in Macau remained steady at 1.7% in November 2025, holding the lowest level since January. The number of unemployed was stable at 6,700, while total employment rose by 2,100 to 378,900. Most jobseekers had previously been employed in the retail trade and the Gaming sectors. The share of first-time jobseekers among the unemployed ticked up 0.5 percentage points to 14.4%. The labor force participation rate increased to 67.2% from 67.0% in October, driven by a higher female participation rate (65.5% vs 64.9%), while the male participation rate slipped slightly to 69.4% from 69.7%.
2025-12-26