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Written by: Huang Yongyu
2020-06-07 10:51
Last update date: 2020-06-07 10:51The unemployment rate in the latest quarter reached a 10-year high, and there have been constant calls for the establishment of unemployment assistance. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Luo Zhiguang, said in his blog today (7th) that Hong Kong is only now "suddenly" having unemployment issues that need to be addressed. In the past, there have been severance payments, long-term service payments, CSSA and other programs to provide assistance. It is emphasized that the existing unemployment benefits in Hong Kong are higher than those in the United Kingdom.
Luo Zhiguang pointed out that the United Kingdom makes contributions to national insurance through employee employers. Only employees who make contributions for more than two years can receive unemployment benefits when they are unemployed, about HK$725 per week, or an average of HK$3,142 per month. The maximum period for receipt is six months. However, if the contribution is less than two years, the unemployed can still apply for unemployment allowance, but there are asset and income restrictions.
He pointed out that the same place as the Hong Kong CSSA is based on "family income" as the unit. The difference is that the disposable assets are converted into disposable income for calculation, and the total needs of the family are not taken into account. He emphasized that if calculated on a four-person household, the average level of CSSA in Hong Kong is $16,000 per month. The unemployment allowance provided by the CSSA system is much higher than that of the United Kingdom; and the upper limit of assets and income is also much looser than that of the United Kingdom. That Hong Kong’s tax rate is much lower than that of the United Kingdom, but unemployment benefits are higher than that of the United Kingdom,
Luo Zhiguang emphasized that the current unemployment benefits in Hong Kong are higher than those in the United Kingdom. (Information picture/photograph by Ou Jiale)
In addition, he mentioned that the United Kingdom also has a severance payment, but there is no long-term service payment, and the British severance payment is divided into three levels according to age, and each year of seniority can receive up to 1.5 weeks of wages, while Hong Kong severance payment or long-term service payment is After one year of seniority, you can get three-thirds and two-month salary, that is, an average salary of about 2.9 weeks. Therefore, "the commitment of Hong Kong employers is obviously much higher than that of British employers."
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