UK universities might wish to highlight graduate employment outcomes or alumni case studies when talking to prospective students in Hong Kong.
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Graduate salaries in Hong Kong have stagnated for the last decade, with expectations for a decrease compared with last year. According to a survey conducted from September last year to January this year, graduates expect on average to receive HK$18,000 (£1,600) per month, down 4.8 per cent1. Many entry level positions in banking, finance and IT offer salaries of around this amount2. From 2001 to 2011 the proportion of university graduates earning less than HK$20,000 a month has actually increased, from 42 to 45 per cent. By comparison, HK$15,000 is around the minimum for monthly residential lease on Hong Kong island3. While graduate salaries have remained static, rental prices have increased 58.6 per cent over the last two decades, with property prices increasing 160 per cent.
This lack of increase in graduate salaries has been blamed on an increasing supply of graduates, and a mismatch between the types of jobs and degrees available.
Commentary by Steve Corry, British Council Hong Kong (steven.corry@britishcouncil.org.hk):
The stagnant nature of graduate salaries and high living costs mean that employability should be foremost in the consideration factors for students considering what undergraduate courses to take (although perhaps not all students think that far!). When counselling prospective students in Hong Kong this summer universities should therefore have a basic knowledge of the graduate labour market (engineering and property sectors tend to have higher salaries, while there is an over-supply of business graduates), highlight track records with employability and use examples alumni success stories. Career advice for international students would also be a bonus, and please note that the British Council partners with an external organisation that runs a graduate recruitment fair for returning students each August (http://www.osn-uk.com/).
Sources:
1 Universum
2 Robert Half Salary Survey 2016