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Outside In | Hong Kong’s worker shortage is not just a local problem, it’s part of a global contest
- An ageing Hong Kong looking to import labour will find stiff competition – just six Apec economies can expect a growing workforce in coming decades
- To cope, the city needs a comprehensive strategy to both attract workers and support locals
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As Hong Kong’s economy recovers from three dreadful years, we are beginning to hear a rising chorus of alarm and complaints about skill shortages.
The loudest, and perhaps most detailed, call to action came this week from the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, which bewailed that three quarters of its member companies were struggling with staff and skills shortages.
Emigration from Hong Kong was a key reason, according to the chamber’s chief executive, George Leung Siu-kay. The city is estimated to have lost 210,000 workers between early 2019 and the end of 2022. This was driven not just by families using British National (Overseas) passports to resettle in the United Kingdom, but also by some companies shifting their headquarters to hubs like Singapore.
While the chamber complained that the most acute shortages were among junior management, there have been cries for help across the economy. The construction sector is said to be short of about 40,000 workers, and the airport reportedly needs 20,000 new staff to rebuild to 2019 levels.
At the end of 2021, Hong Kong also had 60,000 fewer domestic helpers than in January 2020, which probably meant many thousands of mothers being kept out of the workforce.
While the government scrambles to address these shortages with skills training and other policies, calls will undoubtedly intensify for initiatives that attract foreign workers.
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