Editorial | Hong Kong must ensure labour import scheme does its job
Policymakers should make sure the scheme addresses the worker shortage in certain industries while also preventing abuse and keeping options open for local talent
The city has imported over 37,000 workers under its Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme since it was launched in 2023. The Labour and Welfare Bureau also said last week it had received applications to import more than 62,000 workers in the catering and hospitality industries. Most were from the catering industry, which applied to import over 60,000 workers. Nearly 60 per cent of the petitions were approved, more than 11,000 for wait staff – the role with the highest number of imports – and 8,000 for junior cooks. In hospitality, more than 2,100 workers have been imported.
Jobless figures released last week also offer insights. The overall rate was 3.9 per cent from July to September, 0.2 per cent higher than the preceding three-month period. The food and beverage sector was unchanged, but unemployment rates in social work and construction rose.
The Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union has announced a wage freeze for 15 of the 16 major trades in the sector in the coming year. The union said the sector faced an economic transition and “numerous challenges” for employment. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address in September that the government would prioritise hiring local workers and crack down on abuses of the labour import scheme.
Mechanisms, such as a universal minimum wage for imported labour, could also be considered to prevent the exploitation of imported workers and keep options open for local candidates.
Action is urgently needed. Labour shortages in catering and hospitality hold back the city’s economic recovery. Construction workers will be increasingly in demand as major projects, including the Northern Metropolis, move ahead.