Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – According to a government report, Hong Kong's labour shortages are expected to worsen to 180,000 by 2028, due to a rapidly aging population.
According to the Welfare and Labour Bureau, the local labour force is projected to be 3.56 million in three years, far short of demands in the main sectors. Already last year, it lacked around 50,000 workers.
The report says that the city faces a shortfall of 60,000 to 65,000 skilled technical workers, such as mechanics, aircraft maintenance technicians, skilled construction workers, and drivers.
The number of manual labourers, such as cleaners and warehouse staff, is also expected to fail to meet demand by 44,000 to 49,000.
Hong Kong's labour shortages are compounded by aging. Government forecasts expect the median age to rise from 48.3 in 2023 to 50.2 in 2028, one of the highest among developed economies.
This is another aspect of the social crisis triggered by the exodus of thousands of young people following the crackdown Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in the wake of pro-democracy protests in 2019.
In June last year, a survey conducted by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce found that 74 per cent of the 196 companies surveyed had reported a labour shortage. Emigration was cited by 70 per cent of respondents as the main factor in reducing the city's labour pool.
