An employment platform says its research reveals that employers in Hong Kong expect to provide pay rises of 2.2 percent on average next year.

JobsDB says it surveyed 407 companies regarding their hiring plans next year.

The managing director of JobsDB in Hong Kong, Bill Lee, said the expected average pay raise is slightly higher than inflation.

However, employees in construction, as well as the food and beverage (F&B) sector, are expected to see rises of more than four percent, he said.

"Traditionally, I think on the building and construction side, there has been a sort of talent scarcity here. There has been a bit of a talent shortage. For the F&B side, I think what we are seeing is that with the full border reopening, we are seeing an upturn in the F&B sector. Slowly, they are trying to bring back the talent who have left the industry to come back in," said Lee.

He said employers are still struggling with retaining and recruiting talent, but measures launched by the government to attract professionals from elsewhere are proving effective.

"The plan that the Hong Kong government has in place, basically attracting talent, seems to be working. You have about 100,000 people have applied for visas successfully, and about 60,000 people have arrived in Hong Kong. The questions [of] where do these people fall into which sector, and whether that has structurally fixed the problems, I think it remains to be seen over the coming months. But, from a number standpoint, I think directionally it is in a good place," said Lee.

He also said that skillset requirements have changed since the Covid pandemic, with employers now seeking staff with more digital skills, such as being able to use artificial intelligence.