Macau’s gaming industry employed a total of 52,971 full-time workers at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, according to data from the Macau Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). This figure reflects an increase of 1,200 employees compared to the same period in 2023.
The data also revealed that the average monthly salary for full-time employees in the gaming industry reached MOP$26,890 (roughly US$3,360) by December, reflecting a 6.3 percent increase year-on-year.
For specific roles, the average salary of dealers increased by 2.9 percent. This comes as the number of dealers increased by 1.1 percent to 23,618. The main reasons for this hike were salary revision and an increase in working hours.
Vacancies and requirements
Despite the overall growth in employment, there were 253 job vacancies in the gaming industry at the end of fourth quarter of 2024. This marked a year-on-year decrease of 147 vacancies. In terms of hiring requirements, 64.8 percent of the job vacancies in the gaming industry required candidates to have previous working experience. Whereas 62.5 percent of vacancies only required a high school diploma or below.
The gaming industry saw 1,148 new hires in the fourth quarter of 2024, along with 812 departures. This resulted in an employment rate of 2.2 percent, which represents a slight year-on-year increase of 0.2 percentage points. In terms of employee retention, the turnover rate for the gaming sector stood at 1.5 percent. The turnover rate decreased slightly by 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year. In addition, the vacancy rate at the end of Q4 2024 was recorded at 0.5 percent, marking a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous year.
Workers facing more stress: trade union
The increase in full-time workers in the industry is despite 바카라 workers experiencing increasing mental and emotional stress, according to the Macau Gaming Employees Home, a trade union representing gambling industry employees. A study involving 1,182 local 바카라 workers found a 12 percent rise in work fatigue compared to 2021. Psychological and physical stress among workers also increased by 24 percent. However, job insecurity among gaming workers decreased by 7.61 percent compared to 2021, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the union’s senior member Pak Kin Pong.
Employment in Macau’s gaming industry experienced a minor quarterly drop of 0.2 percent in Q4 2024, reaching 71,600 workers. According to data from Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the sector accounted for 18.6 percent of the total workforce, reflecting its substantial role in the local economy. Although the decline was minimal, it was smaller than reductions seen in other sectors, such as hospitality and retail, which faced more pronounced challenges during the period.
Last month, all six gaming concessionaires in China’s Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced salary increase for eligible employees. These are Wynn Macau, MGM China, SJM Resorts, Melco Resorts, Sands China and Galaxy Entertainment Group. The concessionaires also announced discretionary one-month salary bonuses to be paid between January and early February this year.
