Source:
https://scmp.com/article/551787/vacancies-summer-jobs-increase-60pc

Vacancies for summer jobs increase by 60pc

The improving economy has boosted the number of summer job vacancies, up 60 per cent over the past two months compared with the same period last year, according to the Labour Department.

Danny Lau Yan-kuen, senior labour officer with the department's employment information and promotion programme, said yesterday there was a total of 4,568 summer job vacancies in the department's system since April.

'There's a huge demand for manpower and therefore more jobs are available,' Mr Lau said, attributing this to the economy's improvement.

He said most employers were looking for summer tutors, receptionists and clerks for monthly salaries from $4,000 to $7,000.

The number of vacancies was at a three-year high at least and Mr Lau predicted this figure would continue to rise over the next two months.

The department, the Consumer Council and the police have warned job seekers to be wary of employment traps such as shell companies, modelling contracts and pyramid schemes.

Chan Wing-kai, head of the Consumer Council's complaints and advice division, said the council had received 23 complaints related to direct sales this year, compared with 38 for the whole of last year.

He said one of the cases last month involved a family in which three members were persuaded to buy aromatic products worth about $270,000. The family borrowed $170,000 to buy the products from a financial company but later could not find any buyers for the items.

Saying this was the biggest amount related to direct-sales complaints in the past two years, Mr Chan reminded the public to think carefully when persuaded to invest in or buy products at work.

The Labour Department has warned job seekers to be realistic and cautious.