New Hong Kong scheme for faster recruitment of low-skilled staff from outside city gets off to slow start with applications for just 158 positions

Catering and wholesale lawmaker Peter Shiu says some employers have opted for ‘wait and see’ approach, despite many staff vacancies

Labour Department says first day too early to comment on success of scheme and highlights no deadline for applications

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Lower-skilled catering staff are among the categories included in a new scheme to make it easier for employers to recruit outside of Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 9:26pm, 4 Sep 2023Updated: 10:05pm, 4 Sep 2023

A revised scheme designed to make it easier for employers to recruit low-skilled workers from outside Hong Kong has got off to a slow start, with just 27 applications for a total of 158 staff on its first day of operation.

The Labour Department said the applications, which were received up to 4.30pm, were mainly from the catering and wholesale sectors.

Legislator Peter Shiu Ka-fai, who represents wholesale and retail, estimated the sector was short of at least 30,000 workers.

“There are vacancies for almost all posts, like clerks and warehouse workers,” the pro-business Liberal Party representative said.

“That the number of applications received on the first day of the scheme is relatively small does not mean there is no staff shortage.”

Lower-skilled kitchen staff can be recruited from outside Hong Kong as part of a government bid to ease a staffing crisis in a variety of sectors. Photo: Jelly Tse

Shiu added many employers were interested in applying but not many were familiar with the application process and had opted for a “wait and see” stance.

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