Jobsdb by SEEK’s Hiring, Compensation & Benefits Report 2025
Average salary increase forecast at +1.8% for 2025, marking a 0.4 percentage points drop from 2024. “Beauty Care/ Health”, “Engineering” and “Transportation & Logistics” are the top three job functions expected to witness the highest salary growth, with anticipated increase of 3% or higher.
77% of surveyed companies have distributed bonuses or double pay over the past 12 months, reflecting a slight 3-percentage-point increase from the prior year. However, only 36% of companies offered both bonuses and double pay, down 8 percentage points year-on-year.
Looking forward to 2025, 48% of companies expect hiring activity remains similar to the current year while 24% anticipate more active hiring, dropped by 11 percentage points year-on-year.
Employers are slowing down their hiring plans for the next year, with 47% looking to maintain their full-time headcount. The number of respondents freezing or cutting headcount has gone up by 11 percentage points to 24%.
In the past 12 months, only 42% of companies hired fresh graduates, hitting a four-year low.
Around 70% of companies have ditched hybrid work policy, asking employees to return to the office.
41% of employers plan to either implement or consider implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies within the next 12 months. However, 40% of employers indicate a lack of awareness regarding the benefits that DEI policies can bring to their businesses, showcasing divergent viewpoints on the matter.
Jobsdb by SEEK, the leading Hong Kong’s employment marketplace, launched the latest Hiring, Compensation & Benefits Report 2025 by commissioning an independent research agency in Q3 2024 to survey 357 corporations across 41 industries in Hong Kong. The survey findings show that employers anticipate an average salary increase of 1.8% for 2025, down by 0.4 percentage points year-on-year. The top job functions projected to have the highest salary growth rates in the upcoming year are “Beauty Care / Health” (+3.6%), “Engineering” (+3.2%), and “Transportation & Logistics” (+3.1%).
77% of surveyed companies have distributed bonuses or double pay over the past 12 months, reflecting a 3-percentage-point increase from the prior year. However, the percentage of companies offering both bonuses and double pay has shrunk by 8 percentage points year-on-year, with just 36% of respondents adopting this dual compensation practice.
Looking forward to Q1 2025, employers are adopting a cautious stance towards the employment market situation. About half (48%) of companies expect hiring activity to mirror that of the current year, while those anticipating more active hiring has dropped by 11 percentage points to 24% compared to the previous year.
Nearly Half of Employers Inclined to Maintain Current Staff Levels Employers’ Willingness to Hire Graduates Drops to a 4-Year Low
Survey results show that over 70% of employers plan to maintain or increase their full-time headcount in Q1 2025. Among them, multinational corporations (MNCs) are showing a more proactive stance towards hiring full-time staff, with 32% of them planning to increase their full-time employee count in Q1 2025.
Companies planning to freeze or reduce their full-time workforce make up 17% and 7% respectively, marking an increase of 8 percentage points and 3 percentage points compared to the previous year. Notably, despite a slight slowdown in manpower demand, nearly 70% (69%) of companies reported recruitment difficulties, mirroring the situation from the previous year. The primary reason cited for this challenge is the “Difficulty in Recruiting Capable Talent”, identified by 54% of respondents.
In order to address labour and skilled talent shortages, companies have been actively recruiting talent from outside Hong Kong in recent years. Over half of the surveyed companies expect to hire Mainland China and overseas talents in the future. However, influenced by the overall market environment, these proportions have slightly decreased, standing at 57% and 55% respectively, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 6 and 5 percentage points. Employers continue to advocate for simplified work visa applications and related administrative procedures from the government, along with a desire to shorten the approval process for work visa applications.
The survey results also reveal that over the past 12 months, only 42% of surveyed companies indicated that they had hired fresh graduates, representing a drop of nearly 10% compared to 2023 and marking a four-year low.
Bill Lee, Managing Director, Hong Kong, Jobsdb by SEEK, said, “The survey findings reveal that employers are more cautious in their recruitment outlook for next year compared to this year. However, most employers still intend to increase or maintain their workforce, indicating a stable recruitment market ahead. In anticipation of heightened competition in the labour market and the growing preference among companies for talent with relevant work experience, we advise jobseekers leverage technology to set themselves apart. For example, regularly updating their resumes on job platforms can facilitate AI in identifying and matching them with suitable job openings. Jobseekers should also stay abreast of the latest market trends, as well as enhance their job skills to better equip themselves. College students preparing to enter the workforce should seize opportunities for internships during their academic years to accumulate relevant work experience prior to graduation, enhancing their competitiveness.”
Employers Tighten Flexible Work Arrangements Number of Companies Utilising AI Continues to Rise
In addition to adjusting their recruitment strategies, companies are gradually returning to pre-pandemic work patterns. The survey indicates that 68% of companies no longer offer hybrid or remote work arrangements and are now requiring employees to return to the office, marking a 12-percentage-point increase year-on-year. Employers are also reducing the number of days employees can work flexibly from different locations each year. The proportion of companies offering flexible work location options for more than 15 days annually has decreased to 23% from 39%, down by 16 percentage points from last year.
When it comes to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) among businesses, there has been slight progress observed. In the past 12 months, nearly 20% ofcompanies in Hong Kong have adopted AI technologies, primarily to assist in areas such as content writing, data analysis, and customer support. As companies continue to increase their use of AI, the challenges they face this year differ from those of the previous year. There is a growing concern about data privacy and ethics (39%) and the biases or inaccuracies in AI-generated content (28%). With more companies having experience with AI, concerns about employees lacking experience in communicating with AI have significantly decreased by 24 percentage points to 24%, indicating that employees are becoming more adept at using AI.
Divergent Views Among Businesses on DEI Initiatives 40% of Employers Unaware of Benefits of DEI Policies
In terms of promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, the survey results indicate that 20% of companies have implemented DEI-related measures. Key initiatives include introducing “Policies that Addresses Workplace Discrimination and Harassment” (46%) and providing “Unconscious Bias Training for Employees”(34%). 41% of surveyed employers indicate that they will implement or consider implementing DEI policies. These employers are preparing to introduce DEI policies through internal DEI assessments or audits (43%), employee or focus groups surveys (41%) and internal training programmes (32%).
However, simultaneously, 32% of employers hold contrary views, considering DEI policies as “not important at all” for business performance, growth and overall success. Furthermore, 40% of employers are also unaware of the additional benefits that DEI policies can bring to businesses, including improving employee morale, satisfaction, and retention, enhancing innovation and creativity through diverse perspectives, strengthening reputation and increasing productivity.
Bill Lee, Managing Director, Hong Kong, Jobsdb by SEEK, said, “The data indicates that there is still room for improvement in promoting DEI policies in Hong Kong. As an international city, Hong Kong has introduced various measures in recent years to attract non-local talent, aiming to establish itself as a global talent hub. We believe that proactive promotion and implementation of DEI policies by businesses can enhance the appeal of the local workforce to non-local talent. Adopting this approach can also introduce a range of fresh ideas and experiences to the local workforce, foster talent exchange, and bolster overall competitiveness.” - END -
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About Jobsdb by SEEK
Jobsdb is a leading employment marketplace, connecting the right people with the right work in Hong Kong since 1998. Operated by SEEK, an Australian Securities Exchange-listed company, Jobsdb combines its deep local expertise with SEEK’s world-class AI technology and platform to create relevant job and talent matches across Asia Pacific. For more information, visit www.jobsdb.com.