Youth job scheme applications rise 23% year on year
RTHK · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
At the 22nd meeting of the Youth Development Commission, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the government had made tangible progress in supporting young people into work through a multi-pronged strategy. He said applications to the Youth Employment and Training Programme in the 2025/26 programme year were up 23% from the same period a year earlier, while the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme recorded increases in both vacancies and hires last year.
Key Points
- The Youth Development Commission held its 22nd meeting, where members heard work reports and progress updates from six action groups
- The Labour Department briefed the meeting on youth employment measures, including the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, the Youth Employment and Training Programme, and Youth Employment Start
- Eric Chan said vacancies under the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme rose 24.5% last year, while the number of people taking up jobs increased 45.6%.
- Applications under the Youth Employment and Training Programme for the 2025/26 programme year increased 23% compared with the same period of the previous year.
- Authorities said recent enhancements included raising the age limit to 29 or below, increasing employer subsidies and trainee internship allowances, and launching a Greater Bay Area work placement programme
Why It Matters
The latest figures suggest official youth employment schemes are drawing more participation at a time when the government says it is watching shifts in the economy and labour market closely. Further reviews and adjustments to subsidies, age eligibility and placement opportunities could affect how school-leavers and young jobseekers plan their next steps in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area