The development potential of the Greater Bay Area is huge. Information about the nine cities in Guangdong Province is gradually circulating in Hong Kong, and many success stories are attracting citizens to travel north. More and more young people from Hong Kong are interested in finding jobs in the Greater Bay Area. Mainland employers are undoubtedly hungry for talent. However, the job market has always been fiercely competitive, with both mainland graduates and international talents from around the world. It is not easy for Hong Kong youth to stand out, and people are concerned about whether they can seize development opportunities and build personal careers.
In May this year, HSBC and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups interviewed 720 Hong Kong university students who were interested in going to the Greater Bay Area. Among the respondents who had visited nine cities in Guangdong Province, 62.9% believed that they had employment advantages, while those who had not visited is 54.9%. The survey shows that Hong Kong youth are quite confident overall, and those who have conducted on-site inspections are even more optimistic. Seeing is better than hearing. The government and the public have promoted exchanges and publicity activities for many years, which has a substantial effect on improving the attitude of Hong Kong youths in heading north.
However, the balance between supply and demand has not yet been reached between job vacancies in the Greater Bay Area and the quality of talent in Hong Kong. To address the well-known wage gap, the Hong Kong government launched the "Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme" last year to encourage companies in the Greater Bay Area to hire Hong Kong tertiary graduates with financial subsidies. According to data from the Labor and Welfare Bureau, the plan provided nearly 3,500 job vacancies and received more than 20,000 applications. The response was enthusiastic, but only a few positions were successfully matched, and only about 1,000 people were hired.
Employers participating in the program said that talents with professional capabilities are the most sought-after and there are already too few in Hong Kong's local market, let alone supply to mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area. Furthermore, most outstanding talents are recruited from many sources and receive generous remuneration. Even if mainland employers issue letters of appointment, they may not be attracted to give up other opportunities. The quality of the remaining job seekers varies, and their competitiveness is often not as good as the mountains of other application forms in the hands of employers.
Hong Kong is only one source of manpower for the nine cities in the Greater Bay Area. Mainland units can recruit employees from all over the world, and international talents are especially favored by multinational companies. At the same time, foreign professionals are eager to work in the mainland to enrich their resumes, and Hong Kong youth must compete with the global elite. The development policy of the Greater Bay Area has been tilted towards Hong Kong. Hong Kong young people who intend to develop northward enjoy geographical and policy advantages. They must adopt a pragmatic attitude to enhance their international competitiveness in order to find their own foothold in the job market.
