Deep Dive: Few Hongkongers taking part in Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme

Business administration graduate Tin Lau Tin-yat did not think twice about working in mainland China under Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme.

The programme allows young Hongkongers with at least a bachelor’s degree to work in the Greater Bay Area. They can stay for up to 18 months, earning no less than HK$18,000 (US$2,310) a month.

“The good thing about this programme is that with the same salary I may earn in Hong Kong, I can have a very good quality of life on the mainland,” he said.

At first, Lau found it hard to cope with the work culture on the mainland. He landed in hot water at a tech company in Shenzhen when he called a client by his first name during a meeting. His supervisor was surprised.

“After we returned to the office, he reminded me to be more careful when addressing clients,” Lau said.

Still, he had no regrets about joining the scheme, thanks to the lower cost of living and career prospects.

Others described similar experiences learning to fit in and adjusting to the fast pace and long hours.

Pan Zhou, 29, resigned from his previous job in Hong Kong to become a marketing assistant officer for utilities company Towngas. He did so when the youth employment scheme was launched as a pilot programme in 2021.

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Zhou handled the company’s social media pages and websites alongside his mainland colleagues. He was surprised by their efficiency.

“These people were also working from 9am to 6pm like me, but they were able to do much more,” he recalled. He decided to remain on the mainland at the end of his 18-month stint.

Chi Chung-chun was born in Hong Kong and began working as a lawyer in Guangzhou under the 2021 pilot scheme. He had visited the city regularly since childhood. This meant he had little difficulty adjusting to life there.

However, it took him a while to get used to the long working hours, rigid hierarchy of the legal profession, and clients’ high expectations.

“It’s backbreakingly tough working on the mainland,” said Chi, now 31. “I’d be at the beck and call of my superiors and clients round the clock.”

He grew in his career, but at a cost. He said he had 14-hour work days. He was also once scolded for wanting to leave dinner with government officials before the main guests had finished eating.

Chung said he did not like mainland Chinese work culture and hoped to return to Hong Kong.

Staff writers

1. Which of the following is true, based on News?

(1) Zhou was surprised at how inefficient mainland employees at Towngas were.
(2) Hongkongers under the scheme earn no more than HK$18,000 per month.
(3) Chi was put off by the long hours and tough working culture on the mainland.
(4) Zhou decided to stay in mainland China after finishing his work under the scheme.

A. (1), (3) only
B. (2), (3) only
C. (1), (4) only
D. (3), (4) only

2. List THREE adjustments Hong Kong workers had to make in mainland China.

3. Name at least TWO advantages of this scheme, as mentioned by participants.

1. What is being depicted in the cartoon?

2. How does this cartoon relate to the experiences of Hongkongers in the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme?

• More than 1,000 people participated in the pilot programme to work in the Greater Bay Area in 2021, but the number fell to only 337 last year

• Experts cite lower pay on the mainland, nervousness about leaving comfort zone as reasons for the drop

Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, introduced as a pilot programme in 2021 and regularised in 2023, offers subsidies to companies with operations in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area that hire young Hongkongers for mainland jobs.

Starting this year, those aged 29 or below with at least sub-degree qualifications will qualify, and companies will receive a monthly subsidy of HK$12,000 per employee, up from HK$10,000.

The changes come even as the number of Hongkongers taking up jobs under the scheme has slipped from 1,091 in the pilot to 718 in 2023 and only 337 in 2024, as of October 31.

Linda Tsang Chi-man, executive director of the HKFTU Greater Bay Area Social Service, said that while Hongkongers faced issues like differences in labour laws and work culture, surveys of current participants showed they were overall satisfied with the programme.

She felt there were various reasons for the recent fall in the number of Hongkongers participating in the scheme.

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These included young people’s changing attitudes towards work, their comfort in Hong Kong and their lack of understanding of the opportunities in the bay area.

Patrick Yeung Wai-tim, CEO of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, said the subsidies offered by the scheme were a good incentive for employers to send young people to work in the bay area.

He hoped those considering jobs on the mainland would look beyond pay in the early stages of their career. The experience of working in mainland China could help them command a higher salary when they returned to Hong Kong, he added.

Professor Huang Xu, director of Baptist University’s Centre for Human Resource Strategy and Development, said it might take time for the benefits of the scheme to become clear.

“A lot of the time, policy outcomes are only visible after dozens of years, so it would be very hard to evaluate things using short-term results,” he said.

He said the pay could put people off from working across the border. Even in Shenzhen, the best-paying area in the region outside Hong Kong, salaries were about 70 per cent of Hong Kong wage levels.

He added that many Hongkongers have a relatively easy life in the city, being looked after by family, with few push factors to go somewhere else.

Staff writers

1. Given the information in Issue, which of the following is true?

(1) The pilot scheme was introduced in 2021 and regularised two years later.
(2) The number of participants has increased over the years.
(3) Salaries in Shenzhen match those in Hong Kong.
(4) Monthly subsidies for companies increased by HK$2,000 per employee this year.

A. (1), (3) only
B. (2), (3) only
C. (1), (4) only
D. (2), (4) only

2. What advice does Patrick Yeung Wai-tim have for those interested in participating in the scheme?

3. Using Issue, cite THREE reasons given by Linda Tsang Chi-man and Huang Xu for the drop in participants in the programme.

1. What does the information presented in Graph say about the scheme?

2. Using News, Issue, and Graph, list TWO ways Hong Kong could incentivise people to participate in the scheme.

cost of living: the amount of money needed for basic expenses for a certain standard of living relative to a location

pilot programme: a test or trial of a project, programme, or service. It offers a chance to evaluate potential issues and refine a project before its official launch

hierarchy: a system in which members of an organisation, business or society are ranked according to their status or authority

beck and call: when you must always be ready to obey somebody’s orders

subsidies: financial assistance from the government or another institution to support a business or industry. It promotes economic objectives by reducing costs

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce: an international business organisation in Hong Kong that represents the interests of the city’s business community

1. D

2. Lau had to adjust to the different work culture, including how he addressed clients. Meanwhile, Chi struggled to adapt to long work hours, hierarchical office structure and high expectations from bosses. (accept all reasonable answers)

3. This scheme offers a good quality of life and a lower cost of living. Participants make a Hong Kong salary but live on the mainland, where the cost of living is cheaper. It helps them expand and explore their career prospects, offers a steady job and pay cheque, and exposes them to a new work culture and environment.

1. This cartoon shows a confused white-collar worker watching other white-collar workers running around and looking very busy. They are following arrows representing elements that come with work, such as creativity, goals, stress, and profits. The man in the middle is confused about which arrow to follow.

2. It shows how Hongkongers in the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme try to adjust to mainland work culture and lack guidance about the best path forward, while others seem to have already adjusted.

1. C

2. Yeung said people participating in the scheme should look at the big picture rather than just focusing on the start of their career and their current salary. He said this would help them get a better job and higher salary once they came back to Hong Kong, given their impressive experience.

3. Tsang said there were multiple reasons for the drop in participants, including changing attitudes around work and a lack of understanding of opportunities. Tsang and Xu both mentioned that Hongkongers might not want to leave their comfort zones, while Xu also cited low salaries on the mainland and an easier life back home as factors.

1. The graph shows there has been a significant dip in the number of Hongkongers who obtain work through the scheme. More than 1,000 people took part during the pilot year, while the number dropped to around 700 in 2023 and a mere 300 in 2024.

2. Answers may vary. (i.e. higher salary, better benefits, leniency in how many months or years people can partake in the scheme, etc.)