The number of workers in Macau increased by +0.7% but the gambling industry is losing workers to the construction and hotel sectors, reports macaubusinessdaily.com. The island’s unemployment rate has stabilised at 1.7%.

The gaming industry lost 1,500 workers between March and May 2014 and April and June 2014, according to official data released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). According to official figures, there was a -1.8% drop in the number of workers in the gaming industry during the period.

This trend is causing casinos some concern, as more gaming premises are scheduled to open next year, resulting in increased demand for workers in this sector.

Macau’s unemployment rate stood at 1.7% between April and June, a decrease of -0.1 percentage points compared with the second quarter last year. The total labour force increased by +7.3% during Q2 2014, compared with Q2 2013.

By industry sector: recreational, cultural, gaming, and other services is the largest employer sector in Macau. Of the 383,600 workers, 23.5% work in this sector. Hotels and restaurants employ 13.8% of the workforce. Increased demand for construction workers means that the sector now accounts for 13.3% of the total work force.