More employers to step up hirings

Adelyn Lau

Nearly 40 percent of employers in Hong Kong plan to enhance their workforce in the next three months, while 30 percent intend to reduce staff.

The information came from ManpowerGroup's employment outlook survey released yesterday, which polled more than 40,000 employers across 42 countries and regions.

The survey of 532 Hong Kong companies found that 39 percent plan to increase payrolls in the third quarter, 31 percent anticipate a decrease and 29 percent forecast no change.

"The hiring pace among Hong Kong employers in most sectors has risen compared to the previous quarter, although hiring intentions remain moderate," said senior vice president Nancy Chui Yuk-shan.

Chui said that due to uncertain factors like geopolitical tensions and shifts in consumer behavior, companies are adopting a more conservative approach to recruitment.

She described the city's overall job market as "stable and conservative."

The global net employment outlook for the fourth quarter is 25 percent, while Hong Kong's outlook stands at 8 percent.

The index is calculated by subtracting the percentage of employers expecting reductions in staffing from those planning to hire.

Chui said the communication services sector is the most optimistic, with a net employment outlook of 40 percent among the seven sectors surveyed.

"The demand for social platform promotion by enterprises has significantly increased," she said, adding that their spending on digital media has risen by roughly 10 percent year on year to HK$5.5 billion.

She said the media industry is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence to offer personalized content, which drives user engagement.

"Some companies even outsource management of their corporate social platforms," Chui said. "This approach not only enhances business activities on social platforms but also increases demand for social media operation professionals in the communications media industry."

She said employers in the health-care and life sciences sector are the most pessimistic among the seven sectors and anticipate a more cautious hiring pace in the fourth quarter.

She added that many medical institutions are adopting artificial intelligence technologies and improving talent allocation, which keeps hiring intentions in the sector cautious.