Unveiling the Top Ten Talent trends for 2025 in Hong Kong SAR
As we look ahead to 2025, dynamic job market in Hong Kong SAR is poised for significant shifts, shaped by emerging industries, evolving regulations, and global influences. From the growing emphasis on green finance and ESG expertise to rising demand for cybersecurity professionals and digital marketers, businesses are adapting to a rapidly changing environment. Meanwhile, sectors such as accounting, insurance, and retail face unique challenges, prompting new strategies to attract and retain talent.
In this article, we explore the key trends redefining Hong Kong’s workforce landscape for 2025. Learn how businesses are responding to geopolitical changes, digital disruption, and shifting consumer behaviors while uncovering opportunities for professionals to thrive in the year ahead.
Read on for an in-depth analysis of the industries driving transformation and the roles in highest demand.
Building expertise in ESG Finance
Driven by regulatory pressures and growing investor demand, sustainability has become a business priority, and Hong Kong is intensifying its focus on green finance. The HKMA’s Sustainable Finance Action Agenda is establishing Hong Kong as a sustainable finance hub, with obligations to provide climate risk disclosures and targets to reach net zero financed emissions by 2050. To avoid falling foul of these regulations, Hong Kong's financial institutions are rapidly integrating green practices, including climate risk assessment, sustainability reporting, and carbon accounting. With increased collaboration between financial, corporate, and government entities, organisations are hoping to attract talent with expertise in green bond issuance, ESG fund management, and sustainable project financing. Organisations that are unable to bolster their headcount, however, may take advantage of the Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme that subsidises training for professionals to align with green standards.
Geopolitics and digital disruption are driving demand for risk and compliance managers
Climate change considerations aren’t the only thing on leaders’ minds today. 2024 saw continued disruption brought about by advances in AI, and major shifting on the global political stage. Supply chain disruptions and the possibility of sanctions are requiring businesses to revisit existing structures and plan for contingencies. And while regulation for AI is still sparse, the government has already issued a framework on using personal data in conjunction with generative AI, with recommendations for governance committees championed by organisations themselves. These issues will remain current even in 2025, and companies will need to identify risks associated with their businesses, develop mitigation strategies, and ensure compliance to evolving regulations in the space. Risk and compliance professionals versed in AI and data analytics, risk management and regulatory compliance will be in high demand, with salaries in this area expected to rise modestly.
Retention strategies key to securing mid-level accounting professionals
As talent pipelines in the region grow increasingly interconnected, Hong Kong is seeing more accounting jobs being offshored to regions with lower costs such as Southeast Asia. Responsibilities for these roles are generally routine, with mid to high-value roles remaining in Hong Kong. However, the supply of talent has continued to fall, as accountants in Hong Kong continuing to leave the profession for different industries and careers. With the availability of advanced accounting skills at a premium, salaries have grown increasingly competitive, and employers have put retention initiatives such as career development and flexible working options on the forefront for their existing staff. With many potential leavers being parents, leaders will want to consider workplaces initiatives that target carers of children, in line with growing expectations from employers looking for a healthier work-life balance.
Demand for corporate governance lawyers is rising
Hong Kong’s status as a legal hub is changing. Once a prime destination for global firms looking to setup a local practice, Hong Kong has since seen at least 16 law firms shutting down or exiting the market entirely. Among existing practices, fewer trainees move forward to become paralegals or more today, and many more are dropping out of the profession. Even so, law professionals remain in demand from in-house teams looking for experts in general commercial and leasing. Lawyers versed in financial regulations and fintech are also hot commodities today, especially with the resurgence of cryptocurrency in the market. The outlook for company secretaries is cautiously optimistic, and we anticipate seeing more new hires within sizable blue-chip companies and private firms.
Hong Kong’s status as a regional Insurance hub may soon be challenged
Hong Kong’s insurance market has been steadily growing. In 2024, premiums made up close to $311 billion HKD; a 5.1% increase compared to the previous year. Despite the market riding high on positive earnings, major global insurers have begun taking a more conservative stance in planning headcount for the coming year, choosing to reallocate existing talent into focused functions instead of expanding. This cautious sentiment appears to be driven by indications of rising operational and transformation projects in Southeast Asia, from which a new regional hub may surface. In the short term however, skilled professionals are still very much in demand, with many insurers in Hong Kong seeking talent versed in risk, compliance, legal, actuarial and cybersecurity. Competition for qualified insurance specialists in this space remains fierce, driving salaries and benefits packages upwards as organisations compete for limited resources.
Prudent consumer spending will affect luxury Retail
The retail sector is highly reflective of consumer habits today, and consumers have proven to be more prudent with their spending during challenging times. Hong Kong saw its luxury sales decline up to 16% in the first eight months of 2024, a pattern mirrored by the neighbouring mainland China market. This has affected hiring in this sector, with luxury brands likely to scale back on recruitment needs until the market stabilises. Professionals looking to develop their sales careers in new industries will find more leverage in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, where we see steady demand for skilled sales talent to meet ongoing expansion.
Renewed interest in tourism will boost Travel sector hiring
Hong Kong’s tourism sector has taken longer than anticipated to recover. The city saw approximately 29 million visitors in the first eight months of 2024, a far cry from 2018 which saw a record 65 million tourists. There are signs that this is slated to change in the coming year, with the government budgeting over $1 billion HKD to support tourism development and organise events. Visiting Hong Kong has gotten easier already for neighbouring Shenzhen, with a new class of permit allowing for unlimited visits in a year. We anticipate more job opportunities for prospective candidates with online travel agencies, hospitality groups and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) organisers, as companies expand their operations to accommodate increased activity.
Demand for digital marketing talent is pushing salaries upwards
Digital transformation has become quite the buzzword for many industries. One sector where this remains evident is in marketing, where organisations are constantly on the lookout for talent capable of blending both technical and creative skills to elevate marketing strategies to a new level. Marketers today are expected to be able to derive insights from increasingly vast sources of data to help inform their next steps towards enhancing customer engagement and driving sales growth. Professionals with expertise in digital marketing, e-commerce strategies and data analytics remain in short supply, which is pushing salaries upwards for qualified professionals compared to those still in traditional marketing roles. Professionals looking to increase their remuneration are advised to upskill themselves to remain relevant in the digital marketing landscape.
Rising Cyber threats in Hong Kong’s digital era
With a wide array of digitalisation across all aspects of Hong Kong’s industry, there is a fear that organisations are increasingly vulnerable to cyber security threats. In the first quarter of 2024, companies reported a significant 65 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in cybersecurity incidents. In response, the Hong Kong government has implemented the Protection of Critical Infrastructure (Computer System) Bill to safeguard the continuous delivery of essential services. To protect against potential breaches and avoid significant non-compliance fines, industries throughout the region – particularly healthcare, education, technology, and logistics – are investing heavily in robust cybersecurity frameworks, creating a growing demand for talent skilled in cloud security, network protection, and incident response. In order to attract talent, companies are offering competitive salaries, flexible working options, and professional development programs, while focusing on in-house training for employees in AI-driven threat detection and ethical hacking.
New companies are filling the gap left by other multinationals
Geopolitical tensions have resulted in many businesses revising their long-term plans, cutting costs and shuttering businesses in favour of lower overheads amidst economic uncertainty. Restructuring plans saw many multinational corporations shifting their businesses out of Hong Kong in 2024, choosing to establish new hubs in Singapore or exiting the Asia market altogether. However the Hong Kong government has been quick to fill the gap. As of November this year, the government’s Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) has brought in over 60 new companies keen on settling in the city. These firms, specialising in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, life sciences, and fintech, represent a significant boost to the local economy. With a total investment value exceeding $42 billion HKD, these ventures are set to create over 17,000 job opportunities for eager professionals.
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