Hong Kong civil servants ‘could get 4.65 per cent pay bump’ as city shows signs of economic recovery
- Sources say pay trend survey could mean civil service pay bumps of 2.87 per cent for high-earners, 4.65 per cent for middle-rankers and 4.5 per cent for junior staff
- Civil service official stops short of confirming figures, stresses survey just one of six indicators to consider before final proposed pay rises
Civil servants could receive a salary increase of up to 4.65 per cent as Hong Kong’s economy is showing signs of recovery and authorities must contend with severe staff turnover and a shortage of talent, the Post has learned.
But two sources close to the administration on Wednesday said some members of the Executive Council, the city’s top decision-making body, had reservations about salary rises of that size as the economic situation was still poor, meaning the final increments might be lower than those suggested by a pay trend survey.
The latest pay trend survey, based on data collected from 108 private companies, suggested increments of 2.87 per cent for high-earners, 4.65 per cent for middle-ranking employees and 4.5 per cent for junior members of the civil service, separate sources said.
The suggestions, if approved, would be the highest increases since 2019, following a reduced increment of only 2.5 per cent for all salary bands in 2022 and on the back of a two-year pay freeze amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service Clement Leung Cheuk-man told a press conference the survey was just one of six factors considered when finalising suggested pay rises, adding increments were intended to be “attractive enough to retain staff”.
“We hope our salary levels can be similar to those of private companies … after all, we are competing for the same group of talent, and the government does not want to fall behind,” said Leung, who stopped short of confirming the suggested increases discussed in an earlier closed-door meeting.
Acknowledging that authorities lacked the ability of private companies to offer personalised salary arrangements for employees, Leung said the government would try to offer competitive pay packages.