For stats nerds – changes in employment numbers by age group since 1985, courtesy of Joel Chan. A big rise in the number of 60-years-plus in work over the last 20 years. This could reflect an aging population, people remaining active longer due to better health, or older folk becoming more desperate financially and needing to work longer. Take your pick. The other noticeable change is a fall in the number of younger workers. Among the 20-24s, there is a long-term decline, which could reflect a falling birth rate, more younger people going to college or ‘lying flat’, or emigration. Among the 25-29s (and to some extent 15-19s and 30-34s), the trend really kicks in starting 2019, if that’s a clue.
Is there another, less-quantifiable, trend going on in Hong Kong – namely a shift towards a slightly more ‘people-first’ style of governance? The post-2019 era has seen Beijing take a more active role in running the city, largely pushing the idea that evil foreign forces were to blame for the protests, necessitating a clampdown in the name of national security. The old-style ‘we know best’ bureaucrats at the top (think Donald Tsang, Carrie Lam and that lot) have been replaced by ex-law enforcement officials who are perhaps more likely to obey orders and not ask questions. As well as having all pan-dems removed, the legislature has had a large increase in its overall numbers, diluting tycoon-dominated functional constituencies with dozens of appointed loyalists.
And at the same time, buried under the massive NatSec campaign, we are seeing a few long-overdue measures that would, let’s say, have been ‘difficult’ in the old days. A focus on long-term supply of housing in the New Territories, and (probably) away from the Lantau reclamation white elephant project. The ejection of better-off tenants from public housing. Some tweaking to improve low-paid workers’ rights. Senior civil servants being kicked up the backside and told to replace crummy water pipes, pronto. Moves towards regularizing Uber at the expense of taxi-licence holders.
Scratching my head trying to think of more. It’s not much, but there is something.
“diluting tycoon-dominated functional constituencies with dozens of appointed loyalists”
Other than that what contribution does the inflated legislature make to the common prosperity?
The interests of the tycoons have been replaced with a ‘we know best so suck it up coz it will be approved anyway’ bureaucracy.
The ejection of better off PH tenants was certainly not a focus of the ‘loyalists”. The PH estates were where they garnered votes when public support was required to secure a Legco or DC seat.
Haha, kicking out w ll off public housing tenants. I love it. I have always wondered why public housing estates have car parking. If you can afford to run a car then you are not in need of public housing.
I suspect the reports of a scent of “people-first style of governance” in the air are actually just the first wafts preceding the full-on stench of panic from a Government desperate for cash, having all but killed the economy and destroyed the workforce demographics for decades with their NSL initiative.
1) No Lantau reclamation and pivot to New Territories
This is flat out because even they now realise they can’t afford it. Plus with the population projections post 2019, the spiralling economy tied to the lead anchor of the mainland and the further depopulating effect of the upcoming invasion of Taiwan, HK won’t need the reclamation anyway.
2) Kicking out rich public housing tenants.
Firstly see point 1. And nowadays, not only do the angry tenants have zero representation in politics but also if they do complain they’ll be arrested for seditious intention (see yesterday’s blog post), so officials feel emboldened there.
3) Low-paid worker’s rights.
I suspect this is most likely aimed at saving money by getting more people off social security, plus a nudge towards companies paying for more of the workforce’s healthcare, especially given that the workforce’s fastest growing age group is the over 60s. It also doesn’t cost the government to implement — companies pick up the tab and if they complain… it’s NSL time. Again.