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Without jobs, some in Hong Kong tighten belts and deplete savings as they face an uncertain future
- Pandemic robs families of livelihoods, leaving many anxious, desperate for better times
- Some forced to put shame aside and apply for social welfare
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This is the first instalment of a five-part series in which the Post takes a look at unemployment in Hong Kong. You can read part two here, part three here and part four here.
The Covid-19 pandemic, coming on the heels of anti-government protests that began in June last year, has hit Hong Kong’s economy hard, leaving tens of thousands of people struggling.
Some have lost their jobs. Others have been told to go on unpaid leave, or take sharp pay cuts while waiting to find out if they will ever return to the jobs they once had.
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Over months of uncertainty, they have had to dig into savings, turn to family members for support, or borrow to get by. The most desperate have had to resort to applying for social welfare assistance.
The city’s jobless rate spiked to its highest level in 15 years at 6.2 per cent from April to June, surpassing the worst that followed the global financial crisis in 2008.
04:33
Double punch for Hong Kong’s economy from coronavirus following months of civil unrest
Double punch for Hong Kong’s economy from coronavirus following months of civil unrest
The ranks of the unemployed swelled to 240,700 for this three-month period while the number of underemployed rose 5.77 per cent to 142,000.
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