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While employers remain cautious on pay, most expect the job market to remain stable or become more active next year, with AI skills increasingly becoming a hiring requirement.
Hong Kong employers remain cautiously optimistic about the labour market outlook for 2027, with nearly three-quarters expecting hiring activity to remain stable or improve, and the overall average salary adjustment projected at 1.44%.
According to Jobsdb by SEEK’s 2027 Hiring, Compensation and Benefits Survey report, 73% of surveyed companies expect the employment market in 2027 to be either on par with or more active than in 2026. The findings also showed that 64% of employers plan to maintain or increase headcount, while 48% intend to raise recruitment budgets.
However, employers are generally taking a more measured approach to salary decisions. More than two-thirds (68%) expect salary adjustments in 2027 to remain in line with this year's levels, while 22% anticipate larger increases. The projected average salary adjustment stands at 1.44%, with decisions driven primarily by “overall economic outlook in Hong Kong” (44%) and the “organisation’s financial or business performance” (43%).
Among job functions, information technology professionals are expected to receive the largest salary increases at 2.97%, followed by corporate sales and business development (2.75%), analytics (2.07%), education (2.0%), and digital marketing, e-commerce and social media roles (1.81%).
Bonuses remain common
The survey found that 80% of employers provided bonuses or double pay in the past 12 months. Overall, 73% paid bonuses and 46% offered double pay, with companies providing an average bonus equivalent to 1.34 months’ salary.
The most generous sectors were banking and finance, which paid an average of 1.70 months' salary, followed by electronics and electrical equipment (1.66 months) and insurance (1.60 months).
Hiring demand persists despite talent shortages
On headcount planning for next year, 40% of companies plan to maintain their current full-time headcount, while 24% plan to increase hiring. Meanwhile, 11% of companies plan to freeze hiring, and 9% plan to reduce headcount. Additionally, 15% of companies have yet to finalise their workforce plans for the coming year.
Among employers planning to expand headcount, 77% cited business growth as the primary reason, while 32% pointed to the emergence of new roles and skill requirements. More than one-fifth said workforce expansion was linked to supporting AI or automation initiatives.
Additionally, 48% of companies expect to increase their recruitment budgets next year, with most anticipating an increase of less than 10%; while 44% state their budgets will remain unchanged.
Despite continued hiring demand, recruitment remains challenging. Nearly half (47%) of employers believe hiring in Hong Kong is becoming more difficult. Among them, 62% reported difficulty finding suitably skilled candidates, 46% struggled to recruit experienced professionals, and 44% cited rising salary expectations among jobseekers. Nearly one in five also reported receiving high volumes of applications that require significant screening effort.
To maintain flexibility, 63% of employers expect to hire part-time, contract, or temporary staff next year, with almost 90% planning to maintain or increase recruitment of these workers.
AI skills become mainstream hiring criteria
The survey also pointed to a growing emphasis on AI-related capabilities. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of employers said they will include AI skills in recruitment requirements next year, while 54% indicated they will place significantly greater emphasis on those skills than they do today.
At the same time, employers continue to report a gap between supply and demand. Nearly one-quarter (24%) said few candidates, or almost none, currently meet their AI skill requirements.
The most sought-after capabilities include “generative AI tools proficiency” (48%), “AI-powered data analytics and visualisation” (31%), and “AI agent and automation workflow management” (24%).
Retention strategies evolve
Employers are also focusing on retaining existing talent. “Job promotion” (48%) and “pay raise” (40%) remain the most popular retention measures.
Large organisations are more likely to provide training or training allowance (39%), while SMEs tend to focus on creating better working environments.
Some employers are also offering shorter workweeks, with 19% of small businesses using four- or four-and-a-half-day work arrangements as a retention tool.
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