18th June 2026 – (Hong Kong) Hong Kong’s hiring sentiment has weakened sharply for the third quarter. ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey reports a Net Employment Outlook of minus nine per cent, a drop of twenty percentage points from the previous quarter.
Among 524 employers surveyed, 32 per cent expect to reduce headcount, 23 per cent plan to add staff and 44 per cent foresee no change. ManpowerGroup attributes the slowdown mainly to geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty rather than the impact of artificial intelligence.
The outlook varies by sector. Financial and insurance firms post a positive reading of plus 33 per cent and lead the market. Construction and real estate reach plus 14 per cent. Information technology records plus 5 per cent and shows modest growth.
Other sectors face weaker conditions. Manufacturing stands at minus 2 per cent. Services fall to minus 16 per cent. Trade and logistics drop to minus 24 per cent amid Middle East instability, higher shipping costs and softer orders. Professional, scientific and technical activities slide to minus 29 per cent. Healthcare and social services plunge to minus 47 per cent as employers reorganise processes, adopt AI for administrative work and tighten budgets across social agencies.
Analysts say rising costs, geopolitical risks and rapid technology adoption are speeding up consolidation across industries. Finance, construction and IT remain comparatively resilient. Sectors that depend heavily on external demand are trimming staff to ride out the downturn. Workers are advised to upskill in AI tools or shift towards areas with firmer hiring demand.
