Hong Kong now expects its overall manpower gap to fall to 130,000 by 2028—down from an earlier forecast of 180,000—thanks to proactive talent-import schemes and rapid automation, Labour chief Chris Sun told reporters on 17 September. The government will conduct another review of the Talent List, with priority on artificial-intelligence specialists and other fields aligned with national development strategies. The current list covers 60 professions, granting visa applicants bonus points and streamlined processing under the General Employment Policy and Technology Talent Admission Scheme. Expanding it to AI engineers, data scientists and model-governance experts is expected to help local firms commercialise the city’s substantial R&D investments. For employers, a broader Talent List means faster work-visa approvals and exemption from local-recruitment advertising for hard-to-fill roles. However, Sun cautioned that the labour-market outlook is sensitive to economic cycles and that without continued policy support the shortage could have ballooned to 300,000. Business chambers welcomed the update but urged the government to align immigration facilitation with housing and school-place planning to retain imported talent long term.
Source: RTHK
