Macau may have undergone a complete image change, from sleazy to scintillating, and become the leading light of the global gaming industry, but not everyone is happy with the transformation. Gambling is now the major contributor to government funding and the major employer, with unemployment in Macau down to 4.1%. Just this week the Wynn Macau resort, due to open next September, launched a massive recruitment campaign to fill 4,000 jobs, and it won’t be the only such campaign. Sands Macau, Grand Lisboa and Galaxy StarWorld will all be needing more employees.

The rapid expansion of Macau gaming has already caused problems in the construction industry. There is too much building and too few construction workers. On the housing front the cost of rental accommodation is soaring. From operating casinos there have already been reports of expansion delays because of lack of trained staff. From a limited pool in the employment market, the gaming industry is voraciously consuming workers. This naturally causes problems for other businesses when employees leave for the more lucrative jobs that casinos can offer, or demand an increase in wages to stay.

Of course this can only be good news for employees, when better working conditions and benefits are offered by their employers in order to compete with the better pay that casinos can give. Macau has been described as being no longer cheap for business. Average pay is continuing to climb, last quarter up 15% from a year ago. Gambling in Macau is proving to be beneficial to more than government coffers and casino operators. (E-11.18.05)

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