Sun Yuhan: The job market shows a mismatch, and it is necessary to introduce foreign labor. It is expected that the mid-term manpower forecast update will be completed in the fourth quarter

The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Sun Yuhan, mentioned at a Legislative Council committee that a review of the "Supplementary Labour Optimisation Scheme" is underway, and adjustments will be made based on the analysis results from the mid-term update of manpower projections, expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year.

Sun Yuhan pointed out that the unemployment rate has risen over the past two years, and in some industries, even with job vacancies, there are fewer local applicants, reflecting a mismatch in the labor market and the necessity to import foreign workers.

He also stated that according to projections made in November 2024, by 2028, Hong Kong will be short of 180,000 workers, with about one-third of this gap being skilled workers. The authorities will not wait until 2028 to conduct a second projection; a mid-term update is currently underway, with the relevant work expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.

Additionally, the Deputy Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Zeng Yutong, indicated that as of the end of December last year, the High Talent Pass Scheme had received over 150,000 applications, with more than 120,000 approved, of which about 105,000 have come to Hong Kong. As for the first batch of high talents coming to Hong Kong, the renewal rate of applications reached 52%, with an approval rate of 94%