The age limit for non-local skilled workers seeking employment in Hong Kong has been raised from 35 to 40 years old, the labour chief has revealed, saying the change was made after extensive consultation and will attract the necessary talent to address the city’s manpower shortage in technical fields.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han confirmed the change on a radio show on Friday, adding that details of the new scheme were being finalised and would be released soon.

“Setting it at 40 years old is more ideal. We expect that if they come at 40, they can work until 65, meaning at least 25 years of contribution to Hong Kong’s economy,” he said, identifying sectors such as lift maintenance, electrical technicians and enrolled nurses in care homes as key areas for recruitment.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address last October projected a labour shortage of around 180,000 workers across various sectors in the next five years, and he vowed to reform various aspects of the city’s talent admission regime, including providing new channels for skilled and experienced workers within specific trades facing “acute” manpower shortages to come to Hong Kong.

The labour chief explained that the initial proposal for a 35-year age limit was revised after extensive consultation, with the new age range of 18 to 40 deemed more effective in attracting suitable technical talent to meet Hong Kong’s labour needs.

He noted that the global trend of ageing populations meant that the definition of “young” was also evolving, influencing Hong Kong’s approach to talent acquisition.