Earlier this week I stumbled on a fascinating piece of research led by geography professor Becky Loo at the University of Hong Kong and soon to be published in the Nature Cities journal. Fascinating not just because of its scale – an analysis of 200,000 household travel surveys covering Boston, Chicago, London, Sao Paulo and…
Hong Kong’s retail sales jumped by nearly 12 per cent in the first two months of 2026 against a year ago, with authorities pointing to growth in the local economy and a surge in tourists. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Wednesday showed retail sales reached HK$35 billion (US$4.47 billion) in…
Hong Kong’s jobless rate dipped by 0.1 percentage point over the past three months to 3.8 per cent, with unemployment dropping in the retail, accommodation, and foundation and superstructure sectors. “The sustained growth momentum of the Hong Kong economy should continue to support the overall labour market, though employment situations in some local sectors may…
Authorities are communicating with local oil companies to monitor how the war in the Middle East is affecting Hong Kong’s fuel market, amid a public backlash over what has been called premature price hikes. Responding to a South China Morning Post inquiry on Tuesday, the Environment and Ecology Bureau also said the government had been…
Proposals by Hong Kong’s pension regulator to increase Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions for higher-paid workers by up to 33 per cent could worsen business challenges and hurt the jobs market, a lawmaker and human resources expert have warned. A labour representative, however, urged the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) to pursue even bolder…
Hong Kong’s retail sales rose 5.5 per cent year on year in January, with authorities crediting inbound tourism for supporting the sector. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Wednesday showed sales reached HK$37.3 billion (US$4.77 billion) in January, marking the ninth straight month of growth since May 2025, after 14 consecutive…
Hong Kong’s exports surged by more than 30 per cent in the first month of 2026, thanks to a rebound from last year’s low base after US-China trade war fears eased. According to the Census and Statistics Department, the total value of Hong Kong’s export of goods rose in January by 33.8 per cent year…
Hong Kong’s jobless rate edged up by 0.1 percentage point over the past three months to 3.9 per cent after holding steady in the period between August and October last year, with unemployment rising in the insurance, construction and finance sectors. But labour authorities remained optimistic, saying the growing economy would support the job market…
Hong Kong’s retail sales rose 1 per cent last year after recording a 6.6 per cent year‑on‑year increase in December, with authorities saying that improving consumer sentiment and growth in visitor arrivals would continue to support the sector. Figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Tuesday estimated that the value of December’s retail…
Hong Kong has its mojo back. The city’s economy grew 3.5 per cent last year, the fastest pace since 2021, according to an advanced estimate published by the Census and Statistics Department on January 30. A sharp increase in exports, the unexpected driver of growth in many Asian economies last year, was a key factor…