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The Government will assist more elderly persons to join the labour market through employment training, as well as promote elderly-friendly employment practices.
According to Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department, it is predicted that by 2043, more than one in every three local residents will be an elderly person.
To address the challenges posed by an ageing population, the HKSAR Government announced, on 27 May 2025, the implementation of 30 measures aimed at promoting the silver economy and unleashing their productivity.
Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, said at a press conference that the Working Group has proposed 30 measures in five areas, namely:
- boosting "silver consumption",
- developing "silver industry",
- promoting "quality assurance of silver products",
- enhancing "silver financial and security arrangements", and
- unleashing "silver productivity".
These measures, jointly promoted by different policy bureaux and organisations from different sectors, aim to boost consumption among the elderly, develop silver products and services, and enhance the recognition of products and services through accreditation to drive sales, make good use of and safeguard the financial resources of the elderly, and attract the elderly to join the labour market.
To boost "silver consumption", the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) will lead 11 measures, including exhibitions and retail concessions, electronic commerce, the Silver Summit, developing catering initiatives for the elderly, and protecting elderly consumers' rights and interests.
The work of developing the "silver industry" is led by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau. The measures include supporting the development of gerontechnology, facilitating the realisation and commercialisation of gerontechnology-related research and development (R&D) projects, connecting gerontechnology product R&D with the needs of the elderly, as well as expanding the household use of gerontechnology products.
The CEDB will also lead the work of promoting "quality assurance of silver products", while the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will spearhead the measures to enhance the "silver financial and security arrangements". These include developing more cross-boundary elderly care insurance products, further promoting the Three Instruments of Peace, advancing the development of the local annuity market, and stepping up financial planning education for the elderly.
In addition, the Government will encourage and assist more elderly persons to join the labour market through employment support and training, as well as the promotion of elderly-friendly employment practices, in a bid to unleash the labour force.
The Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) will lead the measures aimed at unleashing "silver productivity", including:
- The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) will roll out priority training consultation services and offer more dedicated training courses to address the needs of industries with keen manpower demand;
- The Labour Department (LD) will double the number of job fairs for older and middle-aged persons this year;
- The LWB will review the Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme and the Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged to further explore measures to encourage the employment of persons aged 60 or above; and
- The LD will step up the promotion of elderly-friendly employment practices.
Ho Kai-ming, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, said that the Government has been implementing various measures to tap into and unleash the potential labour force of the elderly, encouraging more elderly persons to remain employed.
In line with the Working Group’s efforts to unleash "silver productivity", the ERB will introduce three measures to further encourage persons aged 50 or above, particularly those over 60, to receive training and join the labour market.
Firstly, the ERB has rolled out priority training consultation services for persons aged 50 or above in April. These persons will be scheduled to receive consultation within seven days of the appointment to help them understand and enroll in ERB courses.
Secondly, the ERB will introduce more placement-tied courses specifically designed for the post-50s generation, targeting industries with urgent manpower needs. These courses will offer retraining allowance and placement follow-up services, encouraging participants to join related sectors. The first two courses will be launched in the second quarter of this year, covering the catering industry and residential child care services.
In addition, starting next year, the ERB will introduce an award to honour trainees aged 60 or above who actively participate in training, return to the labour market, or embark on a second career.
In terms of employment support, the LD will hold 60 job fairs this year that specifically cater to middle-aged and elderly individuals – twice as many as last year. These will include large-scale job fairs in convenient locations, as well as themed job fairs in various districts, enabling job seekers to apply for positions and attend interviews on the spot, thereby increasing their chances of being hired.
Furthermore, the LD has been encouraging employers to adopt elderly-friendly employment practices tailored to their company circumstances, such as extending the working age of employees, providing flexible work arrangements, and creating a work environment that accommodates elderly workers.
The LD will continue to implement initiatives such as the Good Employer Charter to promote relevant measures to employers and encourage elderly employment.
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