{
  "id": 16131089,
  "title": "Fresh Hong Kong graduates feel AI impact as degree pay advantage narrows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/fresh-hong-kong-graduates-feel-ai-impact-as-degree-pay-advantage",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-23T00:30:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post-hong-kong",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3371826/fresh-hong-kong-graduates-feel-ai-impact-degree-pay-advantage-narrows"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hong Kong graduates are noticing the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on their job market as they enter the workforce, according to human resources experts. A recent survey conducted by Baptist University revealed that the gap in starting salaries between bachelor’s degree and sub-degree graduates has narrowed by 17%, from HK$3,000 last year to HK$2,500 this year, a reduction of 500 Hong Kong dollars (US$63.70). Experts urge the government to consider AI's impact on the job market while encouraging students not to view the technology as a threat. Alexa Chow Yee-ping, managing director of human resources consultancy ACTS Consulting, suggests that AI may be contributing to the salary gap as some companies prefer AI to increase salaries for higher degree holders. The survey covered over 270,000 employees from 78 companies in Hong Kong, 38 in Macau, and 105 in nine cities in Guangdong province, making up the Greater Bay Area. Hong Kong workers experienced smaller pay increases this year, at 2.3%, compared to 2.5% in 2025. Despite this, there has been no clear upward trend in starting salaries for university graduates. The survey results, however, differed by sector, with professional fields like healthcare and technology maintaining higher salary thresholds. Chow Yee-ping advises students to consider their interests and the likelihood of AI replacing their job roles when making career decisions. Labour sector lawmaker Lam Chun-sing, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, recommends increasing the number of universities of applied sciences to prepare young people for AI-related industries and emerging sectors, thereby bridging the human resources gap in the Northern Metropolis project. A separate survey by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management found a 2.8% average pay rise this year, with a real increase of 1.1% after accounting for inflation, the lowest since the Covid-19 pandemic. Institute president Ian Choy Jing-man advises graduates to view AI as a tool rather than a threat, focusing on collaborating with it to enhance their job prospects.",
  "summary": "Fresh Hong Kong graduates are increasingly feeling the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) as they enter the workforce, human resources experts have said, after a survey found the starting salaries for degree holders and sub-degree graduates had narrowed. The results of the latest annual survey by Baptist University found the disparity between the starting salaries of bachelor’s degree and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}