Hong Kong News
Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Friday, Jun 09, 2023
Real, Diverse, Unbiased.
Many youngsters think they're poor
Two-fifths of youngsters describe themselves as living in poverty, a Lingnan University survey has found.
The study surveyed 417 youngsters and conducted two rounds of in-depth interviews with 67 people aged between 18 and 29 who earned below HK$20,000 a month, between May and December last year.
About 40 percent of youngsters from the second round viewed themselves as being "poor."
The minimum wage will be raised to HK$40 per hour from May 1 but most respondents consider that to be too low and does not reflect the labor market.
They felt that a reasonable minimum wage should be "enough for a meal" - or HK$71.60 - considering that the average monthly living expense of young people is HK$14,894 after deducting education costs.
Pun Ngai, head of the university's department of cultural studies, said the HK$40 minimum wage would still be too low.
"What an irony that earning the minimum wage is not enough to live on," Pun said. "Since the government has formulated a blueprint for youth development, assisting them in overcoming hurdles in employment, education, entrepreneurship and home ownership, authorities should review the minimum wage."
Leung Shi-chi, assistant professor of the department, said the minimum wage should at least be raised to match the average price of a dish - about HK$60.
"The number of the working poor has soared by more than 100,000 in the past 10 years since the implementation of the minimum wage," Leung said. "The minimum wage is out of touch with real life."
About 40 percent of youngsters from the second round viewed themselves as being "poor."
The minimum wage will be raised to HK$40 per hour from May 1 but most respondents consider that to be too low and does not reflect the labor market.
They felt that a reasonable minimum wage should be "enough for a meal" - or HK$71.60 - considering that the average monthly living expense of young people is HK$14,894 after deducting education costs.
Pun Ngai, head of the university's department of cultural studies, said the HK$40 minimum wage would still be too low.
"What an irony that earning the minimum wage is not enough to live on," Pun said. "Since the government has formulated a blueprint for youth development, assisting them in overcoming hurdles in employment, education, entrepreneurship and home ownership, authorities should review the minimum wage."
Leung Shi-chi, assistant professor of the department, said the minimum wage should at least be raised to match the average price of a dish - about HK$60.
"The number of the working poor has soared by more than 100,000 in the past 10 years since the implementation of the minimum wage," Leung said. "The minimum wage is out of touch with real life."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
