Employment in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Employment was 3,672 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3,672
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
82nd
of 174 countries
All-time high
3,885
in 2018
All-time low
2,003
in 1978
Years of data
48
1978–2025
Employment in Hong Kong, 1978–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Hong Kong stood at 3,672.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Hong Kong peaked at 3,885 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2,003, in 1978.
That places Hong Kong 82nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Employment in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 2,003 | — |
| 1979 | 2,084 | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 2,238 | +7.4% |
| 1981 | 2,411 | +7.7% |
| 1982 | 2,407 | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 2,427 | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 2,505 | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 2,543 | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 2,624 | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 2,681 | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 2,725 | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 2,723 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 2,712 | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 2,754 | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 2,738 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 2,800 | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 2,873 | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 2,905 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 3,073 | +5.8% |
| 1997 | 3,164 | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 3,122 | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 3,112 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 3,207 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 3,253 | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 3,218 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 3,191 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 3,274 | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 3,337 | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 3,401 | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 3,484 | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 3,519 | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 3,468 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 3,474 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 3,576 | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 3,658 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 3,724 | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 3,743 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 3,774 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 3,787 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 3,832 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 3,885 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 3,871 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 3,691 | -4.7% |
| 2021 | 3,670 | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 3,613 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 3,710 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 3,694 | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 3,672 | -0.6% |
Hong Kong compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong's 3,672 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,235, 1.6× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong's 3,672 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,872, 2.0× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,043 | 2,003 | 2,084 | 2 |
| 1980s | 2,528 | 2,238 | 2,725 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,925 | 2,712 | 3,164 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,335 | 3,191 | 3,519 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,733 | 3,474 | 3,885 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,675 | 3,613 | 3,710 | 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 3,672 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 3,885 in 2018.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,003 in 1978.
- How does Hong Kong rank for employment?
- Hong Kong ranks 82nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. 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 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).