{
  "id": 10312640,
  "title": "Hong Kong workers see real salary growth slow to 1.1% in post-pandemic low",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/hong-kong-workers-see-real-salary-growth-slow-to-1-1-in-post-pandemic",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-27T23:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-hongkongfp",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/09/28/hong-kong-workers-see-real-salary-growth-slow-to-1-1-in-post-pandemic-low/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hong Kong workers witnessed their salaries grow by 1.1 percent so far this year, according to a new survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resources Management (HKIHRM). The real wage increase, which takes inflation into account, is the lowest on record since 2021, a period when the city's economy was recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. The annual survey, published on Thursday, reveals that employees reported a 2.8 percent pay rise from January to September, but this was reduced to 1.1 percent due to inflation's impact. The survey encompassed 108,300 employees across 173 companies in 12 sectors. Company performance emerged as the primary driver of pay adjustments, surpassing local economic conditions and competitors' actions. Lawrence Hung, an HKIHRM executive council member, noted that Hong Kong's economy is characterized by a \"divergent landscape,\" with most companies adopting a cautious stance amid ongoing changes. He added that the rise of generative AI and automation has led to a restructuring of manpower demand, resulting in heightened competition for skilled talent. The HKIHRM predicts that salaries in Hong Kong will increase by 2.9 percent in 2027, after accounting for inflation.",
  "summary": "Workers in Hong Kong have seen their salaries increase 1.1 per cent so far this year, after adjusting for inflation – the lowest pay rise the city has logged since 2021, when its economy was still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, a new pay trend survey has found. In its annual survey published on Thursday, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Hong Kong workers see real salary growth slow to 1.1% in post-pandemic low",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/hong-kong-workers-see-real-salary-growth-slow-to-1-1-in-post-pandemic-10316389",
        "published": "2026-09-27T23:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}