One-way permit scheme beefed up workforce by 700,000 employees

Around 400,000 workers came via the scheme whilst 300,000 were the migrating Mainland spouses.

The one-way permit scheme has added roughly 700,000 employees to Hong Kong’s workforce in the past two decades, labour chief Dr Law Chi-kwong said in a blog post reported by South China Morning Post. 

Set up in the 1980s, the scheme allows up to 150 mainlanders each day to move to Hong Kong.

The scheme made the inflow of 400,000 workers over the past twenty years possible whilst welcoming the Mainland spouses of Hong Kong residents has added another 300,000.

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“With a shortfall of 700,000 working population, one can tell whether the effects on Hong Kong’s society and economy are good or bad,” Law wrote as he defended claims made by the business sector that companies could be hit by an extra $840b in costs if it scraps the offsetting arrangement under the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme.