Hong Kong Civil Servant Vacancy Rate Reaches Record High Since 1997 Handover

‘If you join this industry, your freedom will be even smaller,’ said Mr. Chan, a former civil servant in Hong Kong who has resigned and moved to the UK.

Civil servants on their way to the Hong Kong government. Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times

As of late 2023, Hong Kong’s civil service team hit a 10.3 percent vacancy rate with 20,000 vacancies, the highest since the handover in 1997. A former civil servant believes the change may relate to Hong Kong’s eroding freedoms.

According to government statistics, the Hong Kong Police Force has the highest vacancy rate among various policy bureaus, departments, and offices. Of the 37,993 positions, only 31,156 are filled, with 6,837 vacancies at an 18 percent vacancy rate.