Hong Kong Labour Shortage Deepens Despite Import Schemes
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong faces a deepening labour crisis driven by demographic ageing, skills mismatches, and artificial intelligence disruption. The latest manpower projection shows the workforce shrinking from 3.47 million last year to 3.4 million by 2028, representing an annual loss of roughly 20,000 workers even after accounting for imported labour schemes . The projected shortfall has narrowed to 130,000 from 180,000 forecast two years ago, but without import schemes the gap would widen to 300,000, with the labour force falling to 3.21 million . Three interconnected problems underpin this structural challenge.
Key Points
- The labour shortfall is expected to reach 130,000 by 2028, down from 180,000 projected two years ago, but the overall workforce continues shrinking
- Workers aged 25 to 34 are projected to decline by 64,000 over three years, with manual labourers' median age at 54 and skilled technical workers at 50
- Approximately 48,000 to 53,000 technicians and 36,000 to 41,000 manual workers are needed, accounting for about 40 per cent of the projected shortage
- Unemployment has risen to 3.8 per cent with over 150,000 out of work, while Roy Chan Kwok-fai estimates 30,000 to 40,000 cannot find jobs without retraining
- AI is creating a surplus of 25,000 to 30,000 clerical support staff, with entry-level vacancies for graduates falling 60 per cent since 2022
Why It Matters
Sectors critical to Hong Kong's ambitions—aviation, construction, healthcare, and innovation—remain the most exposed to this labour squeeze, threatening the city's ability to execute strategic initiatives and maintain economic competitiveness in the coming years .
Sectors critical to Hong Kong's ambitions—aviation, construction, healthcare, and innovation—remain the most exposed to this labour squeeze, threatening the city's ability to execute strategic initiatives and maintain economic competitiveness in the coming years .