Hong Kong to Require Unpaid Work for Jobless Welfare Recipients

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Hong Kong’s unemployment rate stands at 3.1% in October 2024.

Starting next October, the Hong Kong government will require recipients of unemployment welfare from ages 15 to 59 to participate in at least one hour of weekly, unpaid work to reduce reliance on subsidies and promote social reintegration.

Hong Kong Secretary for Labor and Welfare Sun Yuk-han said the ultimate goal of the program is to help people secure suitable employment and eventually exit the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) program, which provides supplementary payments to residents whose income fails to meet basic needs.

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Starting next October, Hong Kong will require unemployment welfare recipients aged 15 to 59 to engage in unpaid work weekly to reduce subsidy reliance and foster social reintegration.
Failure to participate will lead to suspension of benefits for seven days, though exemptions exist for caregiving or education obligations.
Current participants in the CSSA program, providing up to HK$11,710 per month for a family of four, struggle with employability, despite an unemployment rate of 3.1% and potential job earnings exceeding CSSA thresholds.

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