Hong Kong will lack 180,000 workers in 2028

Local authorities are alarmed by the shortage of labor, accentuated by the aging of the population. It is the other side of the harsh repression of pro-democracy movements in 2019, which pushed thousands of people to leave the metropolis.

Hong Kong () – According to data published by the local government, the labor shortage in Hong Kong is expected to increase to 180 thousand units by 2028 due to the rapid aging of the population. According to projections by the Bureau of Labor and Welfare, the local workforce will be 3.56 million, but it will not be able to meet demand in major sectors. Already last year the data spoke of a shortage of around 50 thousand workers.

The study predicts that there will be a shortage of between 60,000 and 65,000 qualified technicians, such as mechanics, aircraft maintenance technicians, specialized construction workers and drivers. But labor shortages are also expected even among cleaners and warehouse employees. Hong Kong’s labor shortage is compounded by its aging workforce, as the government has projected that the average age will rise from 48.3 years in 2023 to 50.2 years in 2028, one of the most high in developed economies.

These data are another side of the social crisis triggered by the exodus of thousands of young people from Hong Kong after the repression imposed by Beijing as a result of the pro-democracy protests of 2019. In June of last year, an investigation carried out by the Chamber of Hong Kong General Trading revealed that 74% of the 196 companies surveyed had reported a labor shortage. 70% of respondents cited emigration as the main factor leading to the reduction of the city’s workforce.