A study released last month warned that casino employees in Macau were moderately exhausted.
The study (see link here – subscription required) states that nearly 40% of casino employees working in the industry for less than five years want to quit in the next six to 12 months. One of the main reasons is burnout, which has been found to negatively affect job satisfaction, reported Macau-based newspaper Ponto Final.
The research was done by Joanne Chan Sow Hup and Kim Kuk Oi Mei from the University of Macau, and Penny Wan Yim King from the Institute for Tourism. It is available in the online edition of the Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management.
The results are based on a survey of 391 employees at six major casinos in Macau.
The three researchers say casino managers should pay more attention to the work stress experienced by not only dealers but also all casino employees, reduce workload and improve rota planning.
Macau casinos had nearly 56,000 employees at the end of last year, official data showed.
The turnover rate of employees in the gaming industry remains high, although it is significantly lower than in 2010. During the fourth quarter of last year, 4.2% of workers in the gaming industry left their employers.
Estimates differ on how many staff will be needed to staff the seven casino projects under construction in Kotai. There are also estimates that Macau\'s gaming workforce will need to grow by more than a third. Melco Crown Entertainment said 8,000 new employees will be needed for its Studio City project, which opens in mid-2015.
Some analysts question whether Macau can meet the volume and quality labor demand that a second wave of casino resort development in Kotai will create.