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A study investigating the impact of foreign workers in Macau, conducted by the Macau University of Science Technology (MUST) Research Center, has released findings that the increase of foreign workers does not cause “class solidification in Macau, where local residents lack upward mobility channels.”

The unemployment rate during the first quarter of this year remained at 1.9 percent as the increase in employment in the gaming industry and other service sectors was offset by the army of fresh graduates newly joining the labor market.

The phenomenon of illegal work was another concern during the plenary AL session as legislators said the government’s enforcement was ineffective and suggested amendments to the law to put illegal workers into jail as a possible deterrence.

A target salary of MOP5,000 for mainland domestic helpers may become the indicative price to drive an overall pay rise in the domestic work industry.

Foreign workers quitting their current occupations will have to return to their home countries immediately, or undergo a six-month transition period during which they can only find a new job in the same field. But the lawmakers and government are still thinking how to clearly plug the possible loopholes that may allow the workers to switch to a better job in a di

The “exodus” of illegal immigrants ended two decades ago, when the Chinese economy and living conditions began improving after the “market opening” in late 1980s.

The New Macau Association (ANM) says the government’s public consultation paper on population policy is intentionally distorted in an attempt to induce the public to support the introduction of more foreign laborers into Macau at the expense of the local population.  

The amendment to the Law on Hiring Non-resident Workers was given preliminary approval in the Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday after severe criticism and challenges by legislators with trade union backgrounds, who said the minor change fails to address the substantial problems in the labor market.