Greater Bay Area employment scheme attractive to young people, labor chief says
Nearly 90 percent of employees earned at least HK$18,000 a month under a scheme that encourages enterprises to hire local university graduates and deploy them to work in the Greater Bay Area, the labor chief stated on Wednesday.
The government launched the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme in 2021, which was regularized in March this year. According to the number of young people employed, the government disbursed a monthly allowance of HK$10,000 to enterprises for each person for up to 18 months.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han revealed in a Legco meeting that the recruitment period of the pilot scheme was completed by August, and nearly 1,100 job offers from enterprises employing young people were received.
About 90 percent of the employed earned a monthly salary ranging from HK$18,000 to HK$21,000, and the highest salaries for the employee under the scheme were HK$49,200.
Around 35 percent of the employees joined the business services sector in GBA, while 26 percent worked in finance.
Nearly 45 percent of the employed young people were in the professional occupational group, and 26 percent were in the manager and administrator level.
Sun added that as the implementation period of the regularized scheme is still short, the Department will compile statistical figures relevant to the employed young people in a timely manner.
When asked if the authorities consider extending the scope of application to all local associate degree and higher diploma graduates so as to support youngsters with different academic qualifications, Sun replied the government would review the academic requirements for job seekers in due course.