Advertisement
The View | Forget Singapore and Shenzhen – Hong Kong’s only competition in beating the brain drain is its past self
- The government’s policies on talent are confusing, with moves to import workers sitting alongside telling local youth to go elsewhere for career opportunities
- Leaders should focus on restoring an environment in which people can earn a good living and not worry about comparisons with other places
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
21
In a hotel refurbishment project we have been working on since 2019, there has been a steady flow of top staff from consultancy and contracting companies resigning. And, they have not just left the job – they have left Hong Kong.
Advertisement
“Nobody is indispensable”, the old saying goes, but the project has suffered whenever knowledge and time were lost. Design and construction is a field that demands deep technical know-how and industry experience, and every project is unique.
Nobody, regardless of their skill level, can immediately pick up where a predecessor left off as they need time to learn the ropes. The worst-case scenario would be when an incompetent person fills the vacant role, potentially making mistakes or stalling progress. Unfortunately, a brain drain is the norm these days.
This is just one hotel project. It is not unique in facing talent loss, and neither is the design and construction industry at large. From medicine and finance to education and tech, every industry is eager to hire in post-pandemic Hong Kong.
According to the Inland Revenue Department, there were some 370,000 fewer taxpayers in the financial year ending on March 31 compared to three years ago. Meanwhile, Census and Statistics Department figures show Hong Kong’s workforce dropped by more than 94,000 people in 2022 compared to a year previously.
09:35
Hong Kong families find fresh start in London
Hong Kong families find fresh start in London
The mixed messages from officials are confusing. On one hand, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han is promoting the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, which subsidises regional employers if they hire fresh Hong Kong graduates. On the other, the government has launched the Top Talent Pass Scheme in December.
Advertisement