The Federation attended the “Hong Kong Five-Year Plan” Labour Thematic Consultation Session and is preparing to submit recommendations to support a forward-looking and sustainable manpower strategy for Hong Kong.
In line with the Five-Year Plan’s long-term vision, our submission focuses on strengthening Hong Kong’s human capital foundation, enhancing labour market resilience, and improving the business environment so that economic growth translates into tangible benefits for both enterprises and the workforce. Our objective is to reinforce Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international service and tourism hub through strategic manpower planning and institutional refinement.
Strengthening Family Support as Core Labour Infrastructure
We will recommend enhancing and regularising the Community Care Fund (CCF) After-School Care Programme by expanding coverage, extending service hours, and transitioning it into a permanent mainstream programme. Institutionalising after-school care as stable employment-support infrastructure will help reduce workforce withdrawal due to caregiving responsibilities, particularly among women, thereby expanding effective labour supply.
Ensuring that Work Pays and Mobility is Rewarded
The Federation will advocate reinforcing the principle that work pays and advancement is rewarded. Greater coordination between welfare and public housing policies is needed to reduce disincentives — particularly the “welfare cliff effect.” Smoother benefit tapering will strengthen incentives for full-time employment and career progression, ensuring workers share in economic growth.
Strategic Manpower Planning and Supplementary Labour
While upholding the principle of prioritising local workers, we will propose refining the supplementary labour mechanism to enhance transparency and responsiveness to sectoral shortages, particularly in hospitality and related service industries. We also encourage stronger talent collaboration and mutual recognition of skills with Greater Bay Area cities to improve manpower allocation and support regional integration.
Technology and AI Capability
We will emphasise upgrading in-service and vocational retraining systems to strengthen technology and AI capabilities. Enhancing digital literacy and automation adoption will improve productivity, ease manpower pressure, and raise job quality.
Creating a More Efficient Regulatory Environment
To enhance long-term competitiveness, we will recommend streamlining labour-related administrative procedures and reviewing regulatory requirements that impose disproportionate compliance costs without delivering commensurate employee benefits. A more efficient and proportionate regulatory framework will improve the business environment, reduce unnecessary operating costs, and better align policy objectives with employee welfare and sectoral sustainability.
Through strategic manpower planning and institutional optimisation, the Five-Year Plan should aim to:
- Expand effective labour supply
- Strengthen incentives for employment and advancement
- Enhance workforce skills and productivity
- Improve the business environment
- Ensure labour shares in economic growth
- Reinforce Hong Kong’s international competitiveness
Members who wish to share further views or supporting data are welcome to contact the Secretariat.