Over half of Hongkongers consider changing employers in 2025: study

A recent study by global professional services firm Aon plc revealed that a significant number of employees in Hong Kong are either planning to switch jobs or contemplating it within the year, while one in five employees feel undervalued.

The firm conducted a global study of over 9,000 employees across 23 geographies, including the US, UK, China, India, and Australia. Results revealed that 63 percent of workers in Hong Kong are considering changing employers.

Around 17 percent of employees in the city feel undervalued in their current roles, compared to seven percent in China and 13 percent globally.

It also highlighted widespread dissatisfaction with compensation in Hong Kong, as 60 percent of workers feel their compensation is unfair compared to similar roles in the industry, which is significantly higher than the global benchmark of 37 percent.

More than one-third of the workforce in Hong Kong is not confident that there is adequate investment in their skills development, which doubled to the global average.

"While organizations may perceive unmet salary expectations as the primary reason for employee turnover, employees evaluate all aspects of their roles and total rewards when deciding whether to remain with an organization," said Ernest Leung, head of Hong Kong for Aon.

He added that it is crucial for organizations to adopt more creative and innovative compensation practices using data-driven analytics and insights as part of their overall people strategy.

Additionally, the study found that 41 percent of employees are not confident their employer ensures gender pay equality, while women are 11 percent more likely than men to want career development and learning.

It pointed out that employers are reinforced to take steps to offer customized benefits across demographics, including pay transparency and career development, to attract and retain top women talent.