Macau Jobless Rate Edges Up to 1.9%

Macau’s unemployment rate edged up by 1.9% in June 2026, following a 1.8% increase in the previous two months. The number of unemployed decreased by 300 month-on-month to 6.8 thousand, while employment rose by 2,300 to 376.4 thousand. The labour force participation rate also increased to 66.8% from 66.3% a month earlier, with the labour force rising by 2,800 to 383.6 thousand. Participation was lower among women (60.0%) than among men (64.1%). By industry, gaming accounted for the largest share of employed residents (63.2%), followed by wholesale and retail trade (36.1%), real estate and business activities (24.6%), accommodation and food industries (20.2%), and transport and storage (16.7%).

Macau's unemployment rate stood at 1.8% in May 2026, unchanged from the previous month. The number of unemployed increased by 6,000 to 7.1 thousand, while employment declined by 5,000 to 374.1 thousand. The labour force participation rate edged down to 66.3% from 66.4%, with the labour force decreasing by 6,000 to 380.8 thousand. Participation was lower among women (59.3%) than men (63.6%). By industry, gaming accounted for the largest share of employed residents (25.7%), followed by wholesale and retail trade (12.2%), accommodation and food services (11.2%), and public administration and social security (11.2%).

The unemployment rate in Macau edged up to 1.8% in the three months ending in April 2026, compared to 1.6% in the previous period. The number of unemployed persons increased by 300 from the previous month to 6,500, while total employment declined by 2,400 to 374,600 people. Among local residents, employment gains were mainly recorded in hotels and related activities, as well as transport and storage, while job losses were seen in wholesale and retail trade, real estate and business activities, and gaming. The general labor force participation rate fell to 66.4% from 66.7% in the preceding period. By gender, participation rates among local residents declined for both men (64.1% vs. 64.4%) and women (59.0% vs. 59.3%).