Hong Kong Employment Falls 0.6% to 3.67 Million in 2025 as Trade and Retail Shed Jobs
Updated
Updated · Vision Times · Aug 19
Hong Kong Employment Falls 0.6% to 3.67 Million in 2025 as Trade and Retail Shed Jobs
3 articles · Updated · Vision Times · Aug 19
Summary
3,673,200 people were employed in Hong Kong in 2025, down 0.6% from 2024, with retail and import-export trade each shrinking 4.3% and construction falling 4.2%.
14,600 import-export jobs, 11,200 retail jobs and 14,800 construction jobs were lost year over year as weaker global demand, U.S.-China trade tensions and shifts to online and cross-border shopping hit traditional sectors.
616,000 workers remained in import/export, wholesale and retail trades in 2025, down 15.4% from 2020 — about 112,000 fewer jobs — underscoring a longer-term contraction beyond the latest annual dip.
88.3% of employment was still in services, while public administration and social services employed 1.14 million people, showing labor demand is shifting toward service-oriented sectors as Hong Kong's workforce ages.