Young people consider themselves poor
To understand Hong Kong youth's opinions on employment, poverty, a decent life, and related policies, as well as their income and expenditure, a recent survey, entitled “How low is the minimum wage? Report on Employment Dilemmas of the Poor New Generation”, jointly conducted by Lingnan’s Institute of Policy Studies and the Centre for Cultural Research and Development, shows that about 40% of the interviewees described themselves as living in poverty, and most young people working full-time indicated that the statutory minimum wage is too low and they do not benefit from it.
Nearly 90% of the interviewees have a bachelor's degree or have completed an associate degree programme, but the median income of the 417 young people surveyed by questionnaire was HK$6,000-9,999 per month, and that of the 67 in-depth interviewees was HK$15,200. Their average personal living expenses were about HK$16,800 per month. The research team therefore concluded that, based on the assumption of eight working hours per day and 26 working days per month, the minimum wage per hour, in order to meet their current living expenses, should be increased to HK$71.6, which is way above the local statutory minimum wage of HK$40 per hour as from 1 May 2023.
Prof Shi Chi LEUNG, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Cultural Studies, pointed out that more and more young people in Hong Kong are living in poverty despite their high academic qualifications. This problem is getting worse, but in its blueprint for youth development, the Hong Kong government attempts to open up avenues for the young in academic, employment, entrepreneurial, and housing sectors. Prof Leung believes that young people need help in a wide variety of areas, including career advancement and independent living facilities. “We need enough space to talk about dreams. Otherwise, everything is just empty talk. We worry that young people in Hong Kong do not dare to dream of a future because poverty remains an obstacle.”
Prof Ngai PUN, Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Cultural Studies, said that compared with similar research she had conducted in Mainland China, young people there are more easily able to do nothing, but in Hong Kong young people cannot. They are under considerable pressure at work, and work very long hours. Prof Pun said that some people work 16 hours a day in two or even three jobs in order to earn a monthly income of not even HK$20,000 to meet their living expenses.
“If you ask why the Hong Kong young cannot bear hardship, you must first understand the kind of hardship they already suffer.”
In recent years, more and more young people have become self-employed or freelancers. The research team will conduct studies related to them, and quantitative studies on the impact of the statutory minimum wage in Hong Kong since its implementation in 2011, hoping that the conclusions will lead to changes in policy, and encourage related sectors to adopt cultural changes and guidelines.