Hong Kong’s job market is recovering, with financial services and technology sectors leading in headcount and salary growth. Recruitment firm Robert Walters expects cautious hiring optimism this year, with employers increasing permanent and contract roles. A survey of 400 firms and professionals in September indicated the financial sector is driving hiring growth, thus supporting broader economic recovery. Hong Kong’s unemployment rate, at 3% in the first three quarters of last year, was 0.2 percentage points higher than in Q3 2023, Census and Statistics Department data showed. The jobless rate has trended higher since the latter stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, which slowed economic recovery. Tourism and retail sectors were hit hardest as border closures affected most industries.