Macau’s population has hit a record high as the casino gambling industry hotspot looks at non-resident workers to plug a gap in the demand for workers. According to the Statistics and Census Service, the number grew by 1,300 in Q2 2011. It contributes to the some 13,300 imported labourers hired by companies on the enclave in the past year. Not everyone is welcoming them warmly though.
Polytechnic Institute social work Professor Larry So Man Yum told the Macau Daily Times that there’s a growing movement that think non-resident workers are “very rude and impolite.”
The Professor made warnings about non-resident workers incorporating themselves into society. He stated, “I don’t think integration has anything to do with these people. They usually come here for a year or two, simply to work and make a living before going back to their countries. Macau is not a place they would like to call home.”
So called on Macau’s authorities to launch “a policy that promotes multiculturalism and encourages people to respect each other’s culture”.
He added, “Of course that takes time but education is always the best policy.”
The number of non-resident workers reached 85,273 in June and was the highest figure in two years. It would obviously be better were the majority of workers in Macau home grown. The case is that there simply aren’t enough people to fill the jobs and there’s no way the casino gambling industry will be able to grow without the staff.
Anyone visiting the enclave and owning an iPhone can now benefit from additional guidance. Macau’s Cultural Affairs Bureau has launched the free app, called “WH Macau”, to help business visitors on their visit to the enclave. It will lend a helping hand to anyone exploring the “historic centre of Macau” and use GPS to guide visitors around the historic part of the city.
