Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Employment (ILO modelled estimates) was 3,634 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Hong Kong, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Hong Kong stood at 3,634.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Hong Kong peaked at 3,894 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2,778, in 1991.
That places Hong Kong 97th out of 188 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2,778 | — |
| 1992 | 2,806 | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 2,871 | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 2,949 | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 2,986 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 3,062 | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 3,138 | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 3,124 | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 3,119 | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 3,213 | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 3,272 | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 3,249 | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 3,237 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 3,308 | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 3,378 | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 3,441 | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 3,508 | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 3,536 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 3,505 | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 3,508 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 3,608 | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 3,675 | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 3,751 | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 3,774 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 3,810 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 3,826 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 3,857 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 3,894 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 3,859 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 3,692 | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 3,707 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 3,682 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 3,691 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 3,659 | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 3,634 | -0.7% |
Hong Kong compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong's 3,634 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,958, 1.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong's 3,634 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,607, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,981 | 2,778 | 3,138 | 9 |
| 2000s | 3,365 | 3,213 | 3,536 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,756 | 3,508 | 3,894 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,677 | 3,634 | 3,707 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More work & labour data for Hong Kong
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 2,981 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 55.13 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,663 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.78 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.06 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 149,185 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,833 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 53.6 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.56 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Hong Kong?
- Employment in Hong Kong was 3,634 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 3,894 in 2018.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,778 in 1991.
- How does Hong Kong rank for employment?
- Hong Kong ranks 97th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Hong Kong data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.