Job postings for tourism in 2022 more than doubled since 2020: study

Aviation services sector also posted an increase in recruitment.

Hong Kong’s loosened quarantine requirements for visitors led to increase of recruitment for front-line service sectors and tourism-related industries.

JobsDB by SEEK said in its study that job postings for tourism and travel agencies in 2022 went up 46% year-on-year, which more than doubled since 2020. Following this is the aviation industry, which recorded a 36% growth in job advertisements YoY, up 61.1% from 2020.

Hospitality and hotel sector revived as recruitment numbers went up 28% or a 61.1% surge from 2020 job postings.

JobsDB Hong Kong managing director Bill Lee said the recruitment activities are expected to make a gradual comeback as border reopens. 

“Most hirers are looking for experienced and skilled candidates, and are willing to offer competitive packages. For this reason alone, job seekers should remain hopeful and actively seek new opportunities to re-enter their field of expertise,” said Lee.

Overall, the count of job advertisements in 2022 went up by 53% compared to 2020. 

“Post-pandemic turnover has also become more frequent, with the median tenure of employment in 2022 at 21 months, or less than two years per job, decreasing by 13% YoY,” said JobsDB.

JobsDB overall job advertisements went up 4.7% YoY in 2022 with the top five job functions with most job advertisements being sales, admin and human resources, banking and finance, and accounting.

Job hopping

The frequency of job hopping also grew for newly employed Hong Kongers, specifically those aged 18 to 25.

Average tenure for this age group has shortened by two months compared to pre-COVID-19 period, with an average duration of 1.5 years before switching to a new position. 

“The phenomenon is especially pronounced amongst workplace newbies aged 18 to 22, who have an average tenure length of just 9.3 months,” read the statement.

Hybrid is most appealing

Hybrid for job type has been getting a lot of attention for job seekers, as the keyword went up 156% year-on-year in search volume.

"Flexible work", "Hybrid", "Remote work", and "Work from home" continue to be popular keywords in recruitment advertisements for 2022.