Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated
that in the second quarter of 2008, the overall average daily wage
of construction workers was MOP557, down by 2.3% quarter-to-quarter.
The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers dropped
by 4.5% to MOP578 and that of unskilled workers fell by 11.1% to
MOP351.
After discounting the effect of inflation, the overall real wage
index of construction workers for the second quarter of 2008 was
100.5, down by 5.8% quarter-to-quarter; the real wage index of skilled
& semi-skilled workers decreased by 4.8% to 100.9 and that of
unskilled workers went down by 12.5% to 97.9.
In the second quarter of 2008, prices of most of the construction
materials registered quarter-to-quarter increase, in which the average
price of spiral and round reinforcing steel bars rose to MOP7,082
per tonne, up by 13.0%; the average price of ordinary clear sheet
glass increased by 4.3% to MOP80 per square metre and that of clamping
plate (Plywood) rose by 3.5% to MOP65 per square metre.
With the objective to reflect the price changes of construction
materials used in the construction of residential building projects,
DSEC published the 2005-based price index of construction materials
for residential buildings starting from the second quarter of 2008,
which comprised 13 groups of representative construction materials
used in the construction of residential buildings.
The overall price index of construction materials for residential
buildings showed significant upsurge in 2007, rising by 11.4% compared
with 2006. The overall price index for the second quarter of 2008
was 152.5, up drastically by 28.0% year-on-year, owing to a 68.0%
surge in the price index of steel; besides, the price indices of
timber and concrete also went up by 7.2% and 3.5% respectively.
Compared with the previous quarter, the overall price index registered
an increase of 6.9%.