2013-10-29    Hong Kong's labour shortage

Hong Kong is short of workers, skilled and un-skilled. The government is talking about the need to import workers from the mainland and other places. A Hong Kong university professor has also raised the possibility of giving temporary work visas to some asylum seekers.

This is a good idea, because many of Hong Kong's several thousand asylum seekers speak Cantonese and are used to the Hong Kong way of life. Employing them would be much cheaper than bringing in new workers who have to be provided with housing etc.

Such a move would also reduce crime in Hong Kong. One reason why some  asylum seekers are involved in illegal activities is because of their poverty. They are not allowed to work and they receive below-basic support from the government.  Google "link between poverty and crime" for much information on this topic.

Smile:  When a woman is having a baby, she is "in labour", and hospitals have a labour ward. So I had to smile when I read this sentence in a recent editorial: Hong Kong's low birthrate is leading to labour shortages!