Hong Kong-based tech, Chinese finance firms to hire more in 2021, Michael Page survey finds
- 27 per cent of companies polled in Hong Kong said they were looking to increase their headcounts
- The survey shows that the pandemic has created winners and losers, with catering, tourism and traditional retail businesses expected to cut jobs
Certain sectors are expected to increase hiring in Hong Kong this year, a survey conducted by recruitment firm Michael Page has found.
The company polled more than 5,500 businesses and 21,000 employees in November and December 2020, across 12 markets in the Asia-Pacific region. In Hong Kong, 27 per cent of the companies polled said they were looking to increase their headcounts, while 54 per cent said they planned to maintain the status quo and 19 per cent said they planned job cuts.
Hiring activity in the city fell by 48 per cent last year following the outbreak of Covid-19, but was expected to trend upwards in 2021.
“We are already starting to see the early green shoots of a recovery. It’s widely anticipated that 2021 will be a better year than 2020,” said Mark Tibbatts, Michael Page’s managing director in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The survey showed that the pandemic had created winners and losers. Companies in the financial, technology, health care and fast-moving consumer goods sectors were among those expected to step up hiring, while catering, tourism and traditional retail businesses were expected to cut back.
Mainland Chinese financial companies were expected to step up hiring, even if many international firms had frozen or cut back on recruitment, the survey showed.
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