Policy Address 2020 | Employment opportunities in the Greater Bay Area are boundless, Hong Kong?

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Written by: Hao Ziyu

2020-12-01 20:03

Last update date: 2020-12-01 20:03

The Census and Statistics Department yesterday (November 30) released the third-quarter labor force data. Among them, young people aged 20 to 29 were the hardest hit areas. A total of 78,200 unemployed people were doubled from the same period last year and accounted for 30% of the overall unemployed population.

Previously, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor just issued the fourth "Policy Address" in his term last Wednesday (November 25), mentioning that the SAR government will subsidize 2,000 places to provide fresh graduates in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Employment opportunities within.

If the "Employment Plan" is to solve the employment problem of youths in Hong Kong, then compared with nearly 90,000 unemployed youths, the role of these 2000 places is really limited; if the "employment plan" is to enable youths to show their strengths, then the Hong Kong government What we should try to improve is their competitiveness, not just salary subsidies; if the "employment plan" is to respond to "building the Greater Bay Area", Hong Kong itself is already one of the cities in the Bay Area, and "developing Hong Kong well" means " Build a good Bay Area.”

Carrie Lam proposed in the new "Policy Address" the "Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Plan", recommending that 2000 places be subsidized with salary, and calling on companies with business in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to hire and send local university graduates to the district Work in other cities in China for 18 months.

According to government sources, there are about 1,600 places for general positions with a monthly salary of at least 18,000 yuan. The Hong Kong government provides a monthly allowance of 10,000 yuan. Another 300 to 400 places are set up for innovative technology graduates. The Hong Kong government will subsidize 18,000 yuan. ; To this end, the authorities will set aside 430 million yuan in the Epidemic Prevention and Anti-epidemic Fund, which is expected to be implemented at the end of the year at the earliest.

It is undeniable that young people in Hong Kong do need to re-understand "One Country, Two Systems" and understand the special significance of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to Hong Kong. This will not only help Hong Kong strengthen its advantages and integrate into the overall development of the country, but also broaden their horizons.

However, looking at the policy logic of the entire employment plan and rethinking the employment dilemma faced by Hong Kong youth at the moment, it is really confusing.

Looking at the policy logic of the entire employment plan, it is really puzzling to reflect on the employment predicament facing young people in Hong Kong.

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YMCA faces structural unemployment

The Census and Statistics Department announced the latest labor statistics yesterday (November 30). The unemployment rate in the third quarter was adjusted to 6.4%. A total of 259,800 people were unemployed, of which more than 30% of the population (78,200) were aged 20 to 29. , Doubled over the same period last year.

If the "Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Program" is to solve the local youth unemployment problem, then the 2,000 places are simply insignificant for the nearly 80,000 unemployed army.

The Greater Bay Area is a hot national development plan. The competition for talents has long been fierce. Whether it is a general job or an innovation and technology job, I believe that the YMCA who can be hired by the relevant company will not worry about not having a job in Hong Kong. Instead, it is those of their own. The prospects for young people who have a low level of education and are forced to accept a mismatch of academic qualifications and occupations are dire.

As we all know, Hong Kong’s economic structure is solidified and emerging industries are underdeveloped. Real estate and finance have monopolized the lifeblood of Hong Kong’s development for a longer time, attracting many talents to join related industries, including professionals from different backgrounds.

On the other hand, the retail, sales, tourism, catering, logistics, transportation and other service industries are another pillar of Hong Kong, but the relevant employment requirements are relatively low and do not require advanced academic qualifications or professional skills.

In a good economy, especially in the heyday of the tourism industry, the monthly salary of a salesperson in a cosmetics chain store can be as high as 50,000 yuan, which may be more generous than that of ordinary professionals; but when Hong Kong’s economy is down, the turmoil of amendments and the new crown epidemic These industries are the first to bear the brunt of the double-strikes of the United States. For example, the unemployment rate of "retail, accommodation and catering services" from July to September reached 11.7%.

Some people believe that youth unemployment is only a cyclical problem, and it is believed that it will rebound after the epidemic. However, it is also an indisputable fact that Hong Kong’s industrial transformation is difficult and lacks economic momentum. When traditional industries around the world have been upgraded through innovation and technology, the epidemic has largely It has changed people’s consumption behaviors and habits. It is almost predictable. Even after the epidemic, Hong Kong’s economy will still be in trouble. If the Hong Kong government does not reorganize its talent planning, increase investment in education, and help youths to enhance their competitiveness, the problem will be even more serious. severe.

"Immigration" is one of the hot topics of discussion among youth in Hong Kong.

Many people say that they plan to leave Hong Kong based on political factors such as the "Hong Kong National Security Law."

(Data Picture / Photo by Gao Zhongming)

It's not just political factors that forced the YMCA away

"Immigration" is one of the hot topics of discussion among youth in Hong Kong.

Many people say that they plan to leave Hong Kong based on political factors such as the "Hong Kong National Security Law", but many commentators point out that the underlying reasons for driving young people away are the high cost of living in Hong Kong, the lack of industries, and the difficulty of rising opportunities. .

Last month, a survey conducted by the Human Resources Strategy and Development Research Center of the School of Business Administration of Hong Kong Baptist University and three other institutions showed that the average entry salary of fresh graduates in 2020 is slightly higher than last year, and the average monthly salary of bachelor graduates is about 14,000 yuan. To 16,000 yuan.

Compared with the monthly salary of 18,000 yuan for ordinary occupations in the Bay Area Employment Plan, this is not a big difference. I believe that the reason why jobs in the Bay Area can attract youths in the Greater Bay Area is the difference between industry opportunities and the cost of living.

The Youth Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong expressed expectations in its new "Policy Address" earlier, suggesting that because Hong Kong's residential land is limited and the rigid housing demand is difficult to solve, it encourages Hong Kong youths to buy and start businesses in the Greater Bay Area, or commute to and from the two places.

This way, the thinking of throwing the problem elsewhere is the same as that of the SAR government.

However, its considerations regarding home ownership are not unreasonable-Demographia, an international public policy advisory agency, released an international property price affordability report last year, stating that Hong Kong has been listed as the world’s most difficult-to-afford city for property prices for ten consecutive years, and a monthly income is based on household income. The median Hong Kong family needs to eat or drink for 20.8 years before they can buy a property in a car.

In recent years, the waiting period for public housing has continued to rise, and property prices have continued to soar. Even if young people have good salaries and prospects in the workplace, if they want to have a place in this city, they must also bear the status of "loud slaves."

Hong Kong has been the most expensive place to live among the 130 cities in the world for the second consecutive year, ranking first with Zurich, Switzerland and Paris, France.

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The British Economist Intelligence Unit recently published the "Global Cost of Living Survey Report", which also shows that Hong Kong has become the highest cost of living place among 130 cities in the world for the second consecutive year, tied for the top spot with Zurich, Switzerland and Paris, France.

In other words, even with the same 10,000 workers, the cost of living in Hong Kong is much higher than that in the Mainland. This has also become one of the reasons for "forcing young people away."

In this city, what else can allow the young people born and raised in Hong Kong to stay and build Hong Kong better and more energetic?

This is what those in power need to reflect and consider. This is the thinking of sustainable development. Don't wait until the new forces in Hong Kong are hollowed out to wake up.

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