Hong Kong workforce to shrink by 20,000 yearly as key sectors face shortages

News - South China Morning Post · Sep 22, 2026

Hong Kong’s workforce is forecast to shrink by around 20,000 a year until 2028 despite measures to import labour and talent, with shortages remaining most acute among skilled technical workers. A government report on manpower projections on Tuesday found that although the labour shortfall would narrow to 130,000 by 2028, down by nearly a third from the original estimate of 180,000, the city would continue to face critical manpower challenges across key sectors. “Due to economic transformation,...