Hong Kong tightens imported worker scheme but open to making it permanent
Two-tier vetting system for employers comes into effect on Tuesday, with tougher rules for catering industry
The Hong Kong government has said it is open to making a controversial labour importation scheme permanent, with tighter hiring rules for the catering industry and stiffer penalties for non-compliant employers to take effect on Tuesday.
Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Monday that the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS), launched in September 2023 for 26 low-skilled job categories, would be amended following an extensive review and remain in effect.
“Have we made the scheme permanent? I don’t oppose that view. Our review showed that, at least for the foreseeable future, there is a continuous need for the ESLS to keep our economy running,” Hui said in response to a question from the press.
“The market is constantly changing. We will review the scheme from time to time to see if the measures are still appropriate. We don’t have a specific timeline for the review, but we will carry it out according to market changes.”
As of May, the scheme had approved more than 17,000 applications involving nearly 110,000 workers, about 40 per cent of whom were employed in the food and beverage services industry.
According to official figures, the sector’s unemployment rate stood at 6.3 per cent in the February to April period, despite a 5 per cent job vacancy rate. The overall jobless rate was 3.7 per cent.
It was predicted that by 2028, the sector would be short of 1,000 to 4,000 workers.