Hong Kong's new civil servants' retirement age increased by five years
Long-expected increase in retirement age to kick in from June 1, bureau says
New recruits to the civil service hired after June 1 this year will have to stay in work for five more years before they can retire.
The new retirement age, confirmed on Monday by the Civil Service Bureau, will be 65 for general civil servants and 60 for members of disciplined services such as the police. The retirement age for both groups is currently 60 and 55 respectively.
The measure, announced by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in his policy address in January, is part of a government population strategy aimed at coping with the ageing population and shrinking workforce.
Other measures being rolled out include encouraging more women to work, a higher minimum wage, and making moves to attract overseas workers.
At present, about one in seven of the population is aged 65 or above, and the proportion is expected to increase to about one-third by 2041.
Over the past five years, the number of people retiring from the civil service - which is the city's largest employer with more than 160,000 staff - has been on the rise, with about 4,200 people leaving every year. This figure had been expected to increase to about 7,000 by 2023.