Hong Kong targeting women in upcoming employment subsidy scheme: reports

The Hong Kong government is hoping to encourage more women to return to workplaces in a new subsidy scheme that's underway, according to reports.

Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) reported this week remarks from Labour and Welfare Minister Chris Sun, where he said their upcoming Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme is also targeting women.

"The aim is to attract people, especially women, because we see that women aged between 40 and 59 have a much lower labour force participation rate than men," Sun told RTHK.

Upcoming subsidy scheme

The Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme was unveiled during the Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address as an upcoming three-year programme aimed at encouraging elderly and middle-aged persons aged 40 or above to return to work.

Individuals can be eligible for the scheme if they are able to work for several consecutive months after being unemployed for three consecutive months or more.

Under the scheme, employees who have worked for six consecutive months after being unemployed for three months or more can receive a HK$10,000 subsidy. Those who have worked for 12 consecutive months will be given an additional maximum allowance of $10,000.

Around 6,000 individuals are expected to benefit from the scheme, according to Chief Executive John Lee's address.

But since the plan was unveiled in late October, Hong Kong has yet to implement the scheme.

"It will take some time because we are fixing the details," Sun said told RTHK.

In 2022, there were over 1.78 million women who were employed in Hong Kong, lower than the 1.83 million employed men, according to data from the Census and Statistics Department.

Women's labour force participation was also at 52.9% in 2022, much lower than the 64.7%.

While the subsidy scheme awaits implementation, Sun said they have been stepping up childcare services to help women get back into the job market.