31% of Hong Kong firms to boost hiring next quarter but AI threatens junior jobs
Artificial intelligence could take over junior roles in professional, scientific and technical services, which has net employment outlook of minus 15 per cent
Nearly one-third of Hong Kong companies plan to increase hiring in the next three months, while professional, scientific and technical services are likely to cut staff, especially junior positions, amid the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, a survey has found.
Human resources solutions company ManpowerGroup Greater China released its findings on Tuesday, after surveying 506 Hong Kong businesses in November.
The survey found that 31 per cent of businesses – particularly in hospitality, health and finance – planned to hire more staff in the first quarter next year. Another 29 per cent anticipated a headcount reduction, while 37 per cent forecast no change. The remaining 3 per cent did not provide an answer.
It also showed that Hong Kong’s professional, scientific and technical services – which include legal, accounting, engineering, IT support, architecture and advertising – had an index of minus 15 per cent for its net employment outlook, the lowest among eight sectors.
The net employment index measures employers’ hiring intentions and is calculated by subtracting the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity from the percentage of those anticipating an increase.
“[The sector] is now undergoing accelerated transformation driven by AI and automation … and has widely adopted AI for document drafting, data analysis, content generation, and process integration,” said Lancy Chui Yuk-shan, senior vice-president of ManpowerGroup Greater China.