Thirty-four professional grades in the civil service recorded more than 600 vacancies over the past three fiscal years, accounting for between 6.7 and 7.4 percent of total positions, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu said.
According to Hui, citing data from the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), there were 672, 755 and 720 vacancies across the 34 professional grades in the past three fiscal years, representing 6.7 percent, 7.4 percent and 7 percent of total positions, respectively.
These vacancy rates were lower than the overall civil service vacancy levels during the same period. However, certain professional roles — including engineers, medical and health officers, dental officers, and government counsels — recorded higher vacancy rates, Hui said.
He noted that government departments have mechanisms in place to address staff shortages and minimize their impact on operations and public services.
Measures include recruitment, promotion, and the appointment of suitable temporary personnel. When necessary, departments may also extend the contracts of retired civil servants or hire non-civil service contract staff, Hui added.
Departments are also encouraged to prioritize tasks and streamline work processes to make the best use of available manpower resources, he said.
