According to a recent report, Hong Kong will relax entry requirements for 27,000 foreign workers to fill a labor gap in the financial center. On June 13, the administration unveiled its strategy to increase employment in fields with significant labor shortages, which included establishing quotas for tens of thousands of foreign employees in sectors ranging from aviation to construction.
At a news conference outlining the strategy, Chris Sun, secretary of labor and welfare, emphasized that the labor force is “the linchpin to our economic development.” Chief Executive John Lee had already previewed the plan earlier in the day and had expressed concern about potential dangers to the city’s economy and competitiveness owing to a “serious labor crunch.”
Since the elimination of pandemic limits, business has soared in Hong Kong, but there are not enough workers for the services and other sectors. According to economists, the issue is structural and caused by the city’s immigration policy and a declining local workforce.
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According to Bernadette Linn, the development secretary, the new plan includes hiring quotas for up to 12,000 foreign employees in the construction industry. The city’s airport was running 32% leaner than before the epidemic at the beginning of 2023. It indicated that Hong Kong lacked the personnel to assist with passenger check-in, baggage management, or catering. After supervising significant reductions in employment, wages, and working conditions during the pandemic, flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. has also had a persistent workforce shortage.
Beginning in July 2023, the city anticipates receiving applications for positions in the construction and transportation industries. Processing those applications could take up to two months. There will be applications for positions in the remaining 26 sectors, which are covered by this program.
According to Wong, the worker quotas might be used up completely by 2024. He said many are from the Chinese mainland. As a result of opening its borders, Hong Kong’s economy had a strong first-quarter expansion and came out of recession. Economists anticipate the economy will grow faster, reaching 4.6% in 2023.
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