Hong Kong’s talent policies will be demand-driven and a related manpower study will be released within the year, said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.
Lee made the remark during the second district forum for the city’s first Five-Year Plan and 2026 policy address, which was held at Kowloon Tong Government Primary School.
Officials including Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, and Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan also attended the two-hour session.
In his opening remarks, the city leader expressed gratitude to the 120 participants and said he hoped to gather their feedback on governance, development and livelihood issues.
During the session, citizens raised varied concerns, ranging from the housing ladder for youths, the city's declining birth rate, to a shrinking labor force. In response, Lee emphasized that a demand-driven principle will be adopted for talent policies, tailoring the types of talent brought in to actual needs.
He confirmed that the government will publish the findings of its study on talent demand and overall manpower requirements within the year.
Lee added that multiple proactive measures to encourage childbirth have been introduced, moving away from past passive approaches to facilitate fertility.
As for the housing issue, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enrich the housing ladder, with the Northern Metropolis development set to deliver more space and better living conditions.
He said the public housing waitlist has dropped by about one-third, falling from a peak of 150,000 applicants to roughly 100,000. He attributed this improvement to eased demand due to social development and increased offering of public and subsidized homes, which has accelerated unit turnover.
For young people, Lee said the government has already published a dedicated Youth Development Blueprint and will continue to introduce more measures to adapt to new changes.
He noted priority areas include enhanced career counseling, direct funding and assistance to support youth entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area, and greater involvement of young people in district affairs.
Targeting the city's employment support, Lee said the government is monitoring unemployment trends closely and will work to create new jobs while encouraging businesses to upgrade and transform.
He stressed the urgency of keeping the workforce skilled, announcing that the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) will undergo reform to sharpen its focus on practical, up-to-date training. "There is no future without technology," he said, vowing to accelerate the city's push into innovation and artificial intelligence to maintain competitiveness.
Cultural development was also highlighted, with one participant suggesting that the government take the lead in building a distinctive Hong Kong cultural IP to attract foreign visitors.
Lee stressed a strong official backing in funding, venues, and policy support to help create a globally recognized "Hong Kong brand," but noted that the industry itself must also play its part.
Sunday's consultation followed a similar session in Tuen Mun last week, where Lee fielded questions on youth employment, innovation, and school bullying as part of the government's effort to formulate its first Five-Year Plan and the upcoming policy address.
