Overall, a total of 11,434 non-residents previously employed by gaming concessionaires as of the end of 2019 had left their jobs two years after the pandemic outbreak.

Lei had inquired authorities on how current policies towards foreign employment were helping improve employment of local residents, with the bureau led by Chon U Chan pointing out that the exit of foreign employees did not directly imply the hiring of local residents.

“It should be pointed out that the employment of local residents and the exit of non-resident employees cannot be simply understood as a direct trade-off,” the department underlined.

DSAL also replied that it will continue to combine training with employment to increase employment opportunities for local employees, and will also review the labour market conditions in a timely manner to control the number of non-local employees.

“For large enterprises with quotas to have non-local employees of the same occupation, especially the six gaming concessionaires, referrals will be made and the results of job matching will be followed up,” the department added.

“If there are suitable or sufficient local employees for the relevant positions, no approval will be given for applications for foreign employments for the corresponding occupation, or the company will be required to arrange for relevant foreign employees to leave the field, so as to promote the preferential employment of local employees”

The Bureau added that it would continue to organize various vocational training courses and skills tests to help Macau residents improve their professional skills and find different employment positions.
The general unemployment rate in the Macau SAR has reached 2.9 per cent by the end of 2021, the highest reported since 2009.

Last year Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng stated in his policy address speech for 2022 that the number of non-resident workers in the city was “adjusted” as the SAR aimed to guarantee employment to local residents in the economic recession created by the Covid-19 pandemic

According to the CE, as part of this adjustment as September 2021, there were 25,120 fewer non-resident workers with residence permits, when compared to the end of December 2019.

By Nelson Moura