Comment – As part of the growth in the Macau economy and the ensuing boom in major construction projects, it is not suprising to see that the daily wages are increasing. This also is caused by the on-going shortages of labour as well the demand for skilled workers. The demand for skilled workers will remain high for the next few years as these mega-resorts projects are being built. (MOP8 = USD1) 

Information from the Statistics and Census Service shows that in the second quarter of 2006, the average daily nominal wage of construction workers continued to rise. The overall average daily nominal wage was MOP491, of which skilled workers & semi-skilled workers was MOP525 and unskilled workers MOP364. Among the various occupations of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers, the average daily nominal wage of structural iron erectors was the highest, reaching MOP623.

The overall nominal wage index increased 6.5% from the previous quarter. The nominal wage index of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers rose 5.2%, and that of unskilled workers went up 15.6%. In view of the fact that a number of large-scale construction projects started decoration works, the nominal wage indices of the skilled workers & semi-skilled workers related to these occupations rose more; for example, plumbers registered the largest increase of 13.2%, followed by bricklayers & plasterers (up 9.4%) and carpenters (up 8.5%). However, the nominal wage index of concreters and drain layers registered the largest decline, down 6.9%.

On the other hand, the overall real wage index increased 5.0% compared with the first quarter of 2006. The real wage index of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers rose 3.7%, and that of unskilled workers went up 13.9%.

Compared with the second quarter of 2005, the overall real wage index increased 20.5%, of which the index of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers rose 17.4%, and that of unskilled workers went up 44.1%.(gov.mo)