Macau Unemployment Rate Hits 1-Year High

Macau’s unemployment rate rose to 2.0% in August 2026 from 1.9% in the previous month, reaching the highest level since August 2025. The number of unemployed people fell by around 500 month-on-month to 5,900, while total employment also declined by 800 to 375,900. The labour force participation rate edged down to 66.7% from 66.8%, as the labour force decreased by 400 to 383,400. Meanwhile, the general underemployment rate edged down to 1.5% from 1.7% in July. By sector, gaming remained the largest source of employment, accounting for 61.7% of employed residents, followed by wholesale and retail trade (35.6%), real estate and business activities (23.5%), hotels and similar activities (18.4%), and transport and storage (16.1%).

Macau’s unemployment rate held steady at 1.9% in July 2026, unchanged from the previous month. The number of unemployed people fell by around 400 month-on-month to 6,400, while total employment increased by 300 to 376,700. The labour force participation rate was also stable at 66.8%, with the overall labour force edging up by 200 to 383,800. Meanwhile, the general underemployment rate declined slightly to 1.7%, down 0.1 percentage point from June. By sector, gaming remained the largest source of employment, accounting for 62.6% of employed residents. Wholesale and retail trade followed with 36.1%, while real estate and business activities represented 24.7%. Accommodation and food services accounted for 19.5%, and transport and storage for 16.4%.

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%).