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SCMP Reporter

THINGS IN MACAU are on the up and up, thanks to the arrival of casinos operated by Steve Wynn and other moguls and the special administrative region's booming manufacturing business.

With the number of jobs estimated to rise, there are opportunities for Hongkongers across the board.

In general, the number of employees increased considerably in the first quarter of this year, according to a manpower needs and wages survey covering the same period.

The survey, published by the Macau government's statistics and census service, showed the number of jobs grew in the manufacturing, hotel, restaurant, banking and insurance industries.

While this increase was obvious in the hotel and restaurant and finance industries, with the former showing a first-quarter year-on-year increase of 5.7 per cent,  manufacturing, which saw 6,078 vacancies crop up over the same period, appears to be the local employer par excellence.

In the long term, job prospects are bright thanks to the arrival of the new casinos, including the Galaxy Waldo Hotel and the Sands Macau.

'Since the three gaming concessionaries are committed to investing more than US$2.2 billion before 2009, it will create at least 15,000 job opportunities, in addition to stimulating investments in the tourism, exhibition, entertainment, food and beverage sectors,' said Macau Economic Studies Association director-general Lao Pun Lap. Mr Lao's 'conservative' estimate is that more than 30,000 staff will be required by the gaming industry by 2006.

Language fluency is a top job requirement.

While 48 per cent of the positions advertised in the hotel and restaurant sector  in the first quarter demanded Putonghua and Cantonese, a further 34 per cent required good English.

These skills are not only hot in the hospitality sector - 96.6 per cent of vacant 'financial intermediation' positions advertised in the first quarter also required English-speaking candidates.

Other requirements for  job seekers in Macau are a tertiary education for financial sector roles and professional experience for manufacturing posts.

Of the manufacturing industry's 4,941 vacancies posted in the first quarter, 81 per cent were in the apparel field. Mandarin Oriental Macau human resources director Gloria Ma  said there were job opportunities for Hongkongers with managerial expertise, a background in information technology or training, or restaurant managers.

At the Mandarin Oriental, expatriates - which includes Hong Kong residents - are generally targeted for managerial positions or positions that require a certain level of expertise.

Hong Kong people appear to be at an advantage in Macau due to their cultural similarities and geographical  proximity, while those with a hospitality background may well be holding all the cards.

'Quite big, well-developed international hotels have been in Hong Kong for many years. The market is bigger, so there are more opportunities for us to get some expertise [from there],' Ms Ma said.

One bugbear is the work visa.

Skilled, non-resident workers, including Hongkongers, must provide a copy of their resume, testimonials and a batch of other documents and forms to apply for permission to work in Macau.

Proving the applicant had specific expertise and professional experience related to the job was helpful, while references were crucial, Ms Ma said.

The rewards for relocating from Hong Kong include a lower cost of living (a spacious two-bedroom apartment costs HK$4,000 to $5,000 a month), and transport is barely necessary due to the small size of Macau.

Salaries, however, are significantly lower. In the third quarter of last year, directors and managers could expect to take home about HK$11,500 a month, while professionals made an average of $16,100.

Service and sales workers made about $4,430 a month, according to Macau statistics and census department data.

International businesses such as the Mandarin may provide compensation for senior expatriate staff according to their background and origin.

'I would say it really depends on the experience,' Ms Ma said.

'We look into individual experience and knowledge ... before we set compensation.'

Kick-start your career

Job opportunities rising in the hospitality sector

The manufacturing industry is a major employer

Gaming-linked positions will probably take precedence in future

A lower cost of living is a great incentive ... while considerably lower remuneration could be a turn-off



Macau holds all the aces on jobs