Chapter 5 Employment Services

The Programme of Employment Services

www.labour.gov.hk/eng/service/content.htm

5.1The objective of the Employment Services Programme is to provide a comprehensive range of free employment assistance and recruitment services to help job seekers find suitable jobs and employers fill their vacancies. We achieve this by:

• providing user-friendly employment and recruitment services to job seekers and employers;
• offering dedicated employment-related assistance and personalised services to vulnerable groups of unemployed people;
• assisting young people to enhance their employability and advising them on careers choice;
• regulating local employment agencies;
• safeguarding the interests of local employees employed by employers outside Hong Kong to work in other territories; and
• processing applications under the Supplementary Labour Scheme and ensuring employment priority for local workers in filling vacancies under the scheme.

5.2The principal legislation administered by this programme area includes Part XII of the Employment Ordinance (EO), the Employment Agency Regulations made under the EO and the Contracts for Employment Outside Hong Kong Ordinance (CEOHKO).

5.3Part XII of the EO, together with the Employment Agency Regulations, regulates the operation of employment agencies in Hong Kong through licensing, inspection, investigation and prosecution.

5.4The CEOHKO safeguards the interests of local manual workers and those non-manual employees with monthly wages not exceeding $20,000 who are recruited by employers outside Hong Kong to work in other territories through the attestation of employment contracts of these persons.

Our Work and Achievements in 2021

Employment Situation in Hong Kong

5.5The labour market was under notable pressure in early 2021, but improved continuously during the year. After reaching a 17-year high of 7.2% in December 2020 – February 2021, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell successively to 5.4% in the second quarter, 4.4% in the third quarter and 4.0% in the fourth quarter. The underemployment rate also fell successively from 3.9% in December 2020 – February 2021 to 1.7% in the fourth quarter. For updated statistics on the labour force, unemployment rate and underemployment rate, please visit the webpage: www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/web_table.html?id=6.

5.6The Labour Department (LD) recorded 1 061 856 vacancies offered by employers of the private sector for free recruitment service in 2021. In the year, a total of 197 793 placements were secured. (Appendices 5.1 and 5.2)

A Wider Service Choice

Services Offered at Job Centres

5.7Job seekers can browse vacancies at 13 job centres of the LD and seek referral service provided by the staff or apply to the employers direct. Employment officers assist job seekers in matching and finding suitable jobs in accordance with their needs and preferences. Various facilities such as digital display system, touchscreen vacancy search terminals, fax machines, toll-free telephones, computers connected to the Internet and resource corners are available for the use by job seekers.

Industry-based Recruitment Centres

5.8The three industry-based recruitment centres of the LD, namely the Recruitment Centre for the Catering Industry, the Recruitment Centre for the Retail Industry and the Construction Industry Recruitment Centre, provide free as well as one-stop and on-the-spot recruitment services for employers and job seekers, enhancing the efficiency of recruitment and job search.

Telephone Employment Service

5.9Job seekers registered at the LD may call our Telephone Employment Service Centre on 2969 0888 for job referral service. Through conference calls, staff of the centre can make arrangement for job seekers to talk to employers direct.

Online Employment Services

5.10The LD’s Interactive Employment Service (iES) website (www.jobs.gov.hk) provides round-the-clock online employment services and comprehensive employment information. The iES website is the most popular government job board in Hong Kong, recording around 253 million page views in 2021. It hosts a number of thematic webpages to provide dedicated employment information for specific clientele. Job seekers can also use the iES mobile application to look for suitable vacancies in the job vacancy database of the LD anytime and anywhere. The mobile application recorded around 197 million hit counts in 2021.

5.11To achieve synergy, the LD integrated the Higher Education Employment Information e-Platform into the iES website in August 2021. Job vacancies and employment information for job seekers with higher education are displayed on the newly-launched Dedicated Webpage on Higher Education Employment (www.jobs.gov.hk/0/en/jobseeker/hee).

Central Processing of Job Vacancies

5.12Employers who need to recruit staff can send their vacancy information to our Job Vacancy Processing Centre by fax (2566 3331) or through the Internet (www.jobs.gov.hk). The vacancy information is then disseminated through a network of 13 job centres, three recruitment centres for the catering, retail and construction industries, the iES website and mobile application as well as vacancy search terminals located in various sites throughout the territory after vetting.

Special Recruitment and Promotional Activities

5.13The LD organises a variety of activities to promote our employment services and appeal for vacancies from employers. Job fairs are held to facilitate job seekers and employers to meet and communicate direct. Apart from large-scale job fairs, district-based job fairs are held at job centres to assist employers to recruit residents in the locality and to enable job seekers to participate in job interviews without having to travel long distance.

5.14To reduce the risk of viral infection posed by the congregation of people during the COVID-19 outbreak, the LD organised online job fairs in place of some physical job fairs. The LD resumed the organisation of smaller-scale district-based recruitment activities in job centres and recruitment centres as well as large-scale job fairs when each wave of the pandemic became stabilised. In the year, 13 large-scale job fairs and four online job fairs were held, attracting over 9 400 job seekers to attend large-scale job fairs and receiving more than 3 800 job applications during online job fairs. At the same time, 821 district-based job fairs were organised, with over 19 000 on-the-spot interviews arranged.

Intensified Services for the Needy

Middle-aged and Elderly Job Seekers

5.15The LD provides dedicated employment services for elderly persons and promote their employment through various means such as setting up special counters at job centres to provide priority registration and job referral service for elderly job seekers, conducting employers' experience-sharing sessions, and organising employment briefings and job fairs targeted at elderly persons.

5.16In addition, the LD implements the Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged (EPEM) to encourage employers to hire the elderly and middle-aged and provide them with on-the-job training (OJT) through the provision of OJT allowance. Employers engaging job seekers aged 60 or above who are unemployed or have left the workforce are offered a monthly training allowance of up to $5,000 per employee for six to 12 months. Those who engage unemployed job-seekers aged 40 to 59 are offered an allowance of up to $4,000 per month per employee for three to six months.The EPEM covers both full-time and part-time jobs. There were 3 340 placements eligible for joining the programme in 2021.

5.17The LD also launched a pilot scheme in September 2020 to encourage the elderly aged 60 or above to undergo and complete OJT under the EPEM through the provision of a retention allowance, thereby stabilising employment. These employees will be offered a retention allowance of $3,000 if they stay in the OJT posts for three months. Thereafter, they will receive an additional allowance of $1,000 for each ensuing month when they stay in their same jobs until their completion of the six to 12-month OJT. Subject to the length of the OJT period, the maximum amount of retention allowance that a full-time employee may receive is $12,000.

New Arrival and Ethnic Minority Job Seekers

5.18The LD provides a comprehensive range of employment services to new arrival and ethnic minority job seekers through job centres. These include employment advisory service, job referral, tailor-made employment briefing and information resources. Those who have difficulties in finding jobs are encouraged to participate in various employment programmes to enhance their employability. We also proactively promote our recruitment activities to them so as to speed up their job search.

5.19Since September 2014, the LD has implemented the “Employment Services Ambassador Programme for Ethnic Minorities” to employ trainees of the Youth Employment and Training Programme who can communicate in ethnic minority languages to work as Employment Services Ambassadors at job centres, industry-based recruitment centres and job fairs. Moreover, since May 2017, we have engaged two employment assistants proficient in ethnic minority languages at two selected job centres to strengthen employment support for ethnic minority job seekers, especially those of South Asian origins. Furthermore, inclusive job fairs are organised to enhance the employment opportunities of the ethnic minorities.

5.20To further strengthen the employment support for ethnic minority job seekers, the LD has commissioned two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to implement the Racial Diversity Employment Programme since November 2020. The programme provides, on a pilot basis, one-stop employment services for ethnic minority job seekers in a case management approach through the NGOs so as to utilise the latter’s community network, expertise in case management and experiences in serving the ethnic minorities. In 2021, the programme served 536 ethnic minority job seekers and recorded 259 placements, including 55 placements by referral.

Work Trial Scheme (WTS)

5.21The WTS seeks to enhance the employability of job seekers who have difficulties in finding jobs. There is no age limit for applicants. During the one-month work-trial without employer-employee relationship, participants take up jobs offered by participating organisations. On completion of the one-month full-time work trial, the maximum allowance payable to each participant is $8,300, while the allowance for part-time work trial is calculated at an hourly rate of $49. Of this allowance, $500 are contributed by the participating organisation. In 2021, a total of 336 job seekers were placed into work trials.

Workers Affected by Large-scale Retrenchment

5.22In major business closure or redundancy cases, the LD sets up hotlines for enquiry and special counters at job centres to provide special employment services to affected employees. We canvass suitable vacancies from employers to facilitate job search of the affected employees. In addition, under our iES website, a dedicated webpage displays vacancies offered by employers interested in recruiting job seekers who have lost their jobs in recent closure or redundancy exercises. This helps the affected employees find suitable jobs more effectively. In the year, we offered such special employment services to some 2 000 affected employees.

Job Seekers with Disabilities

5.23The Selective Placement Division (SPD) offers employment assistance to job seekers with disabilities looking for open employment. Employment consultants provide personalised employment services, including employment counselling, job matching and referral as well as post-placement follow-up services. In 2021, the SPD registered 2 882 job seekers with disabilities and secured 2 375 placements. (Appendix 5.3)

Work Orientation and Placement Scheme (WOPS)

5.24The WOPS facilitates open employment of persons with disabilities by encouraging employers to engage persons with disabilities and render them with coaching and support through the provision of an allowance. The maximum allowance payable under the scheme to an eligible employer for engaging each person with disabilities having employment difficulties during the nine-month allowance period totalled $60,000. In 2021, 1 137 placements were secured through the scheme.

5.25The LD has provided since September 2020 a retention allowance on a pilot basis to employees with disabilities who are employed through the SPD’s referral services, so as to encourage them to receive and complete OJT, thereby stabilising employment.

Self Help Integrated Placement Service (SHIPS)

5.26The SHIPS aims at improving the job searching skills of job seekers with disabilities and encouraging them to be more proactive in job hunt, thereby enhancing their employment opportunities. In 2021, 244 job seekers with disabilities participated in the programme.

Interactive Selective Placement Service (iSPS) Website

5.27The iSPS website (www.jobs.gov.hk/isps) provides employment services for job seekers with disabilities and employers. The website enables persons with disabilities to register with the SPD, browse job vacancy information and perform preliminary job matching. It also enables employers to place vacancy orders, identify suitable job seekers with disabilities to fill their vacancies and request the SPD to refer candidates to them for selection interview.

Promotional Activities

5.28To enhance public understanding of the work abilities of persons with disabilities as well as to publicise the services of the SPD and the WOPS, the SPD conducted a series of promotional activities, such as producing publications and advertisements, broadcasting promotional videos, and publicising promotional messages through newspapers, publications of employers’ associations, radio and television channels, public transport network, wall banners and mobile application advertisements during the year. In addition, promotional visits were paid to employers of different trades and publicity materials were sent to them to canvass more job vacancies for persons with disabilities.

Services for Young People

Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme

5.29The LD launched the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme (GBAYES) in January 2021 to encourage enterprises with business in both Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to employ university graduates in Hong Kong and station them to work in GBA Mainland cities. Graduates who are legally employable in Hong Kong and holding bachelor’s degrees or above awarded in 2019 to 2021 may participate in the scheme. Participating enterprises shall employ the target graduates according to Hong Kong laws with a monthly salary of not less than HK$18,000. The LD will pay a monthly allowance of HK$10,000 to the enterprises for each qualified graduate employed for a maximum period of 18 months.

5.30GBAYES received 3 494 job vacancies, about half of which are innovation and technology posts. The LD received a total 1 091 notifications of employment.

Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP)

5.31To enhance the employability of young people, the LD administers the YETP, a “through-train” programme providing seamless and comprehensive training and employment support to young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below.

5.32Trainees can enrol on a year-round basis and are entitled to a full range of coordinated and customised training and employment support services, including pre-employment training, one-month workplace attachment training, OJT of six to 12 months, reimbursement of off-the-job course and examination fees up to $4,000 per trainee, as well as case management services rendered by registered social workers. Employers who engage trainees under the YETP and provide them with OJT are entitled to a maximum training allowance of $5,000 per month per employee for six to 12 months. Besides, the LD launched a pilot scheme with effect from September 2020 to encourage YETP trainees to undergo and complete OJT through the provision of a retention allowance, thereby stabilising employment.

5.33In the 2020/21 programme year running from September 2020 to August 2021, 2 071 young people attended pre-employment training and 1 735 OJT placements were secured under the YETP.

5.34The YETP collaborates with training bodies and individual employers or employers of specific sectors to launch special employment projects, providing tailor-made pre-employment training and OJT for young people. In the 2020/21 programme year, 17 special employment projects and 26 thematic job fairs were organised, involving employers in the construction and engineering, catering as well as retail industries, etc.

5.35To showcase the improvements of trainees after joining the YETP and commend the caring efforts of training bodies and employers, the LD organised the Most Improved Trainees (MITs) award, and broadcast the TV programme “MIT Self-enhancement Project” and the radio interviews “YETP Most Improved Trainees”. Besides, we also collaborated with RTHK to produce a new series of radio drama “A Moment to Fly II”, which was adapted from the real-life experiences of YETP trainees, to encourage young people to stay resilient and remain committed to achieving their goals in life.

Programme for Youths with Acute Employment Difficulties

5.36To strengthen the employment support for vulnerable youths, the YETP continued to operate the “Career Kick Start” project in 2021 to offer OJT of 12 months’ duration to young people with special needs through placements in NGOs with a view to enhancing their employability. Participating NGOs are encouraged to assist trainees in securing full-time jobs in the open employment market through the provision of Placement Incentive.

Youth Employment Support

5.37The LD operates two youth employment resource centres named Youth Employment Start. The two centres provide personalised advisory and support services on employment and self-employment to young people aged between 15 and 29 to facilitate them to map out their career path, enhance their employability and support them to pursue self-employment. Services provided include career assessment, career guidance, professional counselling, value-adding training, self-employment support as well as up-to-date labour market information. In 2021, the number of services provided to young people by the two centres totalled 46 602.

Working Holiday Scheme (WHS)

5.38Since 2001, Hong Kong has established bilateral WHS with 14 economies, namely New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Canada, Korea, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy (commencement date to be confirmed). The scheme aims to provide an opportunity for Hong Kong youths aged between 18 and 30 to broaden their horizon, allowing them to experience foreign culture through living and working temporarily while holidaymaking overseas. At the same time, youths of our partner economies may also learn more about Hong Kong through the scheme.

5.39A majority of partner economies allow Hong Kong youths to stay in their economies for up to 12 months and take up short-term employment to subsidise their expenses, and/or study short-term courses (except for Ireland) while holidaying.

5.40The WHS has been well received among young people. As at end-2021, more than 98 000 Hong Kong youths participated in the scheme, while about 15 000 youths from the partner economies came to Hong Kong under the scheme. The LD will continue to enhance the publicity of this scheme, and explore with more economies to establish new WHS or expand existing bilateral arrangements in order to provide more choices and opportunities for Hong Kong youths to participate in the scheme.

Regulating Local Employment Agencies and Employment outside Hong Kong

5.41The LD regulates employment agencies in Hong Kong through licensing, inspection, complaint investigation and prosecution. In 2021, we issued 3 466 employment agency licences and revoked or refused to issue seven licences. As at end-2021, there were 3 309 licensed employment agencies in Hong Kong. A total of 2 048 inspections were made by the LD officers to employment agencies in the year.

5.42We promulgate the Code of Practice for Employment Agencies (the Code) for compliance by the industry with a view to promoting professionalism and service quality in the industry. At the same time, the dedicated Employment Agencies Portal (www.eaa.labour.gov.hk) provides employment agency operators and staff, job seekers, employers and other members of the public with updated information related to the regulation of employment agencies. The portal also publishes the records of conviction of the offences of overcharging and unlicensed operation, revocation or refusal of renewal of licence and written warnings issued for non-compliance with the Code, so as to assist members of the public in making informed decisions when engaging the services of employment agencies. The enhanced transparency also helps foster the adoption of good practices by the industry.

5.43The LD also safeguards the interests of local employees engaged by employers outside Hong Kong to work in other territories by attesting all employment contracts entered into Hong Kong involving manual employees and non-manual employees with monthly wages not exceeding $20,000.

Regulating Labour Importation

Supplementary Labour Scheme (SLS)

5.44The LD administers the SLS which operates on the principles of ensuring the employment priority for local workers while allowing employers with proven recruitment difficulties to apply for the importation of workers at technician level or below.

5.45We provide active job matching and referral services for local job seekers to ensure their employment priority. Vacancies under the SLS are also widely publicised. Local workers can attend tailor-made retraining courses, if appropriate, to better equip themselves to fill the vacancies. Applications from employers who have set restrictive and unreasonable job requirements or who have no sincerity in employing local workers will be rejected.

5.46As at end-2021, there were 5 188 imported workers working in Hong Kong under the SLS.

Policy on Foreign Domestic Helpers (FDHs)

5.47FDHs have been admitted to work in Hong Kong since the 1970s. Apart from enjoying the same statutory rights and benefits as all employees in Hong Kong, FDHs are further protected by a Government-prescribed Standard Employment Contract, which stipulates that the employer has to provide to the FDH free accommodation with reasonable privacy, free food (or food allowance in lieu), free passage to and from the FDH’s place of origin, free medical treatment, etc. FDHs also enjoy wage protection through the Government-prescribed Minimum Allowable Wage (MAW), under which employers have to pay FDHs a salary no less than the prevailing MAW when the contracts are signed. The Government attaches great importance to safeguarding FDHs’ statutory and contractual rights. The LD spares no efforts in investigating suspected offence cases and prosecution action will be taken out if there is sufficient evidence.

5.48To strengthen the protection of FDHs and enhance the awareness of both employers and FDHs of their rights, benefits and responsibilities, the LD continued to maintain close liaison with and disseminate information on employment matters through the governments of the FDH-sending countries and their consulates-general in Hong Kong, NGOs serving FDHs, FDH employer groups and employment agency associations.

5.49During the COVID-19 pandemic, the LD provided several rounds of free testing service for the FDHs. Mobile broadcasts were conducted in Chinese, English and major languages of the FDHs in their popular gathering places on Saturdays and Sundays to call upon them to comply with the regulations on mask-wearing and prohibition of group gatherings in public places.

5.50As at end-2021, there were 339 451 FDHs in Hong Kong, with 56.5% coming from the Philippines and 41.3% from Indonesia.