Latest news with #Chris Sun Yuk-han
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's unemployment rate remains at 3.5%, continuing 30-month high
Hong Kong's jobless rate remained at 3.5 per cent between April and June, continuing the 30-month high set during the previous three month, with authorities warning of an ongoing uncertain external environment and worsening unemployment from more graduates entering the workforce. Preliminary data from the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday showed that the number of unemployed people during the three months was 136,200, slightly higher than 135,800 in the previous three months. 'While the unemployment and underemployment rates … remained the same as those of the preceding three-month period, various industries in Hong Kong are undergoing transition, and their respective unemployment rates have different trends,' Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said. He added that future jobless rates would hinge on the overall economic performance of the city, and warned that an influx of fresh graduates would have an impact on the overall employment situation. 'Nevertheless, the continued expansion of the Hong Kong economy should provide support to the labour market,' he said. The department said job losses were mainly in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector, and professional and business services sector.
South China Morning Post
13-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Labour chief defends foreign worker scheme despite Hongkongers' job loss claims
Hong Kong's labour minister has rejected calls to halt the importation of foreign workers amid a manpower shortage across various sectors, despite authorities discovering preliminary evidence in two cases of employers dismissing local employees after bringing in overseas staff. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Sunday reiterated that the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, which covers positions such as waiters and salespeople, prioritises local workers. He added that employers are only permitted to import staff if they are unable to hire a local candidate after a four-week recruitment exercise. 'We are looking into whether any employers laid off local workers after hiring imported labourers and have identified two cases where preliminary evidence suggests this might have occurred,' Sun said on a television programme, adding due process must be followed, allowing them time to appeal. 'We have received over a hundred complaints and most of them are unsubstantiated.' The minister also said there was an ongoing investigation into a case where a local candidate expressed interest in and qualified for a role during the four-week recruitment period but was not hired. 'In such instances, we contact the employer for an explanation. If it seems the employer was not genuinely committed to local recruitment, this is considered significant evidence. We then place them on a monitoring list and suspend all their current applications,' he added.
