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RTHK
16 hours ago
- Business
- RTHK
Retail sales drop for 14th month in a row
Retail sales drop for 14th month in a row Retail sales dropped by 2.3 percent year-on-year in April to an estimated HK$28.9 billion. File photo: RTHK Retail sales dropped for the 14th month in a row in April, although the government said the sector's performance has shown signs of stabilisation. Figures from the Census and Statistics Department showed the value of total retail sales dropped by 2.3 percent year-on-year to an estimated HK$28.9 billion. This was lower than the revised 3.5 percent decline recorded in March. Sales of motor vehicles and parts fell the most, by more than 53 percent compared to the same period last year. This was followed by a 16.7 percent decline in sales of furniture and fixtures. Combining the first four months of the year, the value of total sales dropped by 5.6 percent year-on-year. A government spokesman said April's decline was modest and had narrowed compared to previous months. Looking ahead, he said the administration's promotion of tourism and mega events will help stimulate the consumption market. Increased wages and sustained and steady mainland economic growth will also bolster consumption sentiment, he added.
RTHK
16 hours ago
- Business
- RTHK
Retail sales drop for 14th month in a row
Retail sales drop for 14th month in a row Retail sales dropped by 2.3 percent year-on-year in April to an estimated HK$28.9 billion. File photo: RTHK Retail sales dropped for the 14 month in a row in April, although the government said the sector's performance has shown signs of stabilisation. Figures from the Census and Statistics Department showed the value of total retail sales dropped by 2.3 percent year-on-year to an estimated HK$28.9 billion. This was lower than the revised 3.5 percent decline recorded in March. Sales of motor vehicles and parts fell the most, by more than 53 percent compared to the same period last year. This was followed by a 16.7 percent decline in sales of furniture and fixtures. Combining the first four months of the year, the value of total sales dropped by 5.6 percent year-on-year. A government spokesman said April's decline was modest and had narrowed compared to previous months. Looking ahead, he said the administration's promotion of tourism and mega events will help stimulate the consumption market. Increased wages and sustained and steady mainland economic growth will also bolster consumption sentiment, he added.
RTHK
26-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
City's exports grow 14.7pc in April
City's exports grow 14.7pc in April Hong Kong's foreign trade stayed on a rising trajectory last month, with both exports and imports advancing about 15 percent year on year. Photo: RTHK Hong Kong's foreign trade stayed on a rising momentum last month, with both exports and imports growing by nearly 15 percent year on year to beat analysts' expectations. Census and Statistics Department figures on Monday showed that exports rose for the 14th month in a row, up by 14.7 percent year on year to HK$434.5 billion in April. That was down from the 18.5 percent annual growth seen in March, but reflected a maintenance of the growth momentum despite the impact of high US tariffs. Imports rose for a fourth consecutive month, increasing by 15.8 percent year on year to HK$450 billion, compared with the 16.6 percent growth in March. The latest figures left the city with a trade deficit of almost HK$16 billion, or 3.6 percent of the value of imports of goods. By region, total exports to Asia as a whole grew notably by 20.8 percent year on year, with imports by Malaysia rocketing up by more than 61 percent and followed by Vietnam's 48 percent. Exports to the United States also remained in the expansion territory but rose by only 1 percent. Exports to Netherlands, the UK and South Korea, however, fell between 24 and 38 percent. The city imported heavily from Vietnam last month, as the total value of imports from the country more than doubled. Looking ahead, a government's spokesperson noted that "as international trade tensions have eased somewhat of late, the headwinds and uncertainties in the external environment have lessened to some extent". "The government will continue to closely monitor changes in the external environment and stay vigilant to the potential impacts brought about by shifts in trade policies," the spokesperson added. For the first four months of the year, exports grew by 11.9 percent year on year while imports advanced by 11.4 percent.
HKFP
21-05-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong labour chief defends imported labour schemes after unemployment rate rises
The Hong Kong labour minister has defended the government's schemes to import non-local workers following criticism that the programmes have led to a rising unemployment rate in the city. 'I have noticed that recent comments have linked the unemployment situation in certain industries to imported labour. I must emphasise that the government's manpower policy has always prioritised local workers,' Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said in a Chinese-language Facebook post on Tuesday. Sun's statement comes after the city recorded higher unemployment and underemployment rates – a record high since early 2023. Hong Kong's unemployment rate for the February-April period rose to 3.4 per cent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared with the January-March rate, according to the Census and Statistics Department's figures released on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the underemployment rate for the February-April period increased to 1.3 per cent, also a 0.2 percentage point rise compared with the January-March rate. Sun suggested that local workers and unions file a report with the Labour Department should they suspect an employer 'has replaced local employees with imported workers.' He added, 'I reiterate that employers cannot replace existing local employees with imported labour. If layoffs are necessary, employers should first reduce imported workers.' Chau Siu-chung, a pro-establishment lawmaker for the labour sector, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that sectors such as catering and construction, which allow imported workers, had experienced a 'significant rise' in unemployment rates. Unemployment in both the construction and catering sectors from February to April has risen to 5.7 per cent, much higher than the general unemployment rate, he said, citing the government's data. 'On one hand, there is a large influx of foreign labour, on the other hand, more and more locals are becoming unemployed. This situation is concerning,' Chau said in the Chinese-language post. He also wrote that some employers fired local employees soon after hiring imported workers. The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU), a pro-establishment political party, also said that sectors eligible for non-local hires had reported a significant increase in unemployment rates. It urged the government to review various imported labour programmes, especially the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS), which permits non-local hires without quota limits. Expanded schemes Hong Kong expanded a series of imported labour schemes two years ago, citing a labour shortage. In June 2023, the government increased the quota for non-local workers in the construction and transport industries and residential care homes. In September 2023, the ESLS was launched. The scheme, which is set to end in September, allows Hong Kong employers to import workers for 26 types of jobs that were previously only open to local residents, such as cashiers, hair stylists, sales assistants, and waiters. As of the end of March, the city has imported more than 54,000 non-local workers under ESLS. Among them, more than 8,900 non-local workers worked as waiters – the most popular job taken up by imported workers – followed by junior cooks, according to the Labour and Welfare Bureau.
The Star
01-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
‘Exhaustion and short breath': hidden toll of Hong Kong's food delivery grind
Sunny Waseem* is often spotted on his motorbike with a food delivery bag weaving through the Hong Kong traffic under the scorching sun. However, what goes unnoticed is the sweat, headaches, thirst and anxiety to fulfil an order on time. The 38-year-old delivery rider routinely works more than 12 hours daily, handling back-to-back orders during the busy lunch rush. 'Most of our working hours are during the very hot weather. So it really affects [me], I feel exhaustion and increase in sweat and short breath,' said the full-time rider, who has six years of experience. Waseem said that he had to take painkillers several times a week to relieve headaches caused by the heat. However, he felt he could not afford to take breaks in the shade because the food delivery platform would downgrade him with its algorithms, leading to a reduction in his income. A recent Greenpeace survey of 117 delivery workers from ethnic minority backgrounds revealed that over 80% reported experiencing heat-related illnesses during work. 'During extreme weather, outdoor workers bore the brunt because they had no choice but to continue doing laborious work ... a lot of riders would just bite the bullet,' said Tom Ng Hon-lam, the green group's campaigner. About 100 of the survey respondents reported a surge in orders during hot and rainy days, as well as typhoons, with more than 70% having worked under these extreme conditions. In 2023, the government introduced a new three-tier warning system aimed at reducing the risk of heatstroke among outdoor workers. Guidelines on heatstroke prevention were updated last year to make the system more practical for both employers and workers. The green group hoped the government would consider establishing separate guidelines specifically addressing the needs of delivery workers. According to the Census and Statistics Department's latest report, there are around 13,000 food platform delivery workers in the city. Riders or couriers are divided into different tiers. The top-tier earners are those who meet target delivery times and do not reject orders, according to Waseem. He explained that the 'batch one' workers had priority in choosing shifts with the most orders. 'If I take a break for 15 minutes because I am afraid that I will have a heatstroke, somehow I will be unable to work for Foodpanda for a whole week,' he said. 'They will just calculate how many minutes I was absent from the shift, which will result in change in my batch.' When Waseem was demoted from batch one to tier two or three, his daily earnings decreased from HK$1,200 (RM667 or US$154) to around HK$800 (RM444). Following Deliveroo's recent departure from Hong Kong, Waseem now works for Foodpanda and Keeta, which he described as 'notorious' for penalising riders who did not meet their standards. Waseem now dared not to take breaks and risk being downgraded. He said that he prepared a large water bottle and drank ion supply drinks to stay hydrated. Mak Tak-ching, a member of the Riders' Rights Concern Group, noted that while some outdoor cleaners and security guards were given equipment by the employers to stay cool during hot weather, riders had to fend for themselves. He also called for greater long-term protection of riders' rights through formal employee recognition. Greenpeace also urged the platforms to consider riders' needs, including providing heat protection clothing, portable fans, or setting up rest stations with free water dispensers across the city. Foodpanda said on Wednesday that it had never required couriers to deliver orders within a limited time frame. 'Couriers have the option to accept or pass on any of the dispatched orders, and we offer them the flexibility to take breaks during their shift – at any time and from any location,' the company said. As for its batch system, the platform explained that the division was 'determined by an aggregate of various performance components', which meant passing on orders or taking breaks 'may or may not affect a courier's overall batch number'. Keeta said it was committed to offering riders flexible schedules and had provided them with equipment such as raincoats and water jackets. 'The safety and well-being of our riders are our top priorities, and we encourage them to prioritise their well-being and take breaks as needed,' Keeta said. – South China Morning Post
