University graduates in Hong Kong are facing the most challenging employment market since 2021, with the number of available jobs plunging by 55 percent in 2025.
Data from the Joint Institution Job Information System, an online service run by the city’s eight public universities, revealed that entry-level job vacancies in 2025 numbered only 30,798 – 55 percent fewer than the 68,728 recorded the previous year, according to a local media report. This marks the lowest figure in the past five years, falling below the 63,543 jobs available even during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
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The fall continued a declining trend observed since 2024, which had seen a 22 percent drop from 2023 when there were more than 87,600 full-time graduate jobs available. A human resources consultant told the South China Morning Post that the sharp fall in entry-level positions was attributable to the rise of artificial intelligence and the uncertain economic outlook.
Meanwhile, annual salary growth has also diminished. The average monthly salary for graduate jobs in 2025 was HK$20,961 (US$2,687.31), an increase of just HK$112 (US$14.36) or 0.5 percent from 2024. This represents the smallest rise in recent years.
Broader labour market remains stable
In the wider labour market, Hong Kong’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8 percent for October through December 2025, matching the preceding three-month period. New figures from the Census and Statistics Department also show that the underemployment rate increased slightly, from 1.6 percent to 1.7 percent during the same period.
Total employment decreased by approximately 2,900 workers, moving from 3,669,900 in September through November 2025 to 3,667,000 in the October to December period. The labour force also saw a slight decrease, falling by around 9,100 from 3,814,300 to 3,805,200. This resulted in a decrease in the number of unemployed persons by around 6,200 (from 144,400 to 138,200), while the number of underemployed persons increased by approximately 3,900 (from 60,900 to 64,800).
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Recent surveys meanwhile indicate a sense of cautious optimism among employers as the city enters 2026. A global salary survey released in late 2025 found that about 34 percent of employers in Hong Kong plan to increase hiring volume this year, showing a modest rise in recruitment intentions.
Similarly, only about 30 percent of professionals reported low confidence in job opportunities – a 16-point improvement from the previous year – suggesting a rebound in hiring confidence.
