AI
TLDR: HONG KONG—Ivan Cheung, a Hong Kong Polytechnic University data science graduate, filed 200 job applications since March as AI eroded entry roles. 2025 vacancies hit 30,798, down 55 percent from 2024, leaving fresh graduates interviewing with dozens of firms that still seldom hire.
Key Takeaways:
- Since 2021, Hong Kong employment for new grads has stayed bleak, with AI pushing employers toward automation and narrower skill filters.
- Cheung said AI literacy now matters more, urging directed prompting for business pain points instead of generic answers.
- Job vacancy data shows pressure building: 30,798 roles in 2025, 55 percent fewer than 2024, intensifying competition and delays for entry hires.
When entry jobs disappear, students learn a harsh new subject: bargaining with algorithms. The lucky ones are not those who prepared best, but those who can keep applying the longest.
When entry jobs disappear, students learn a harsh new subject: bargaining with algorithms. The lucky ones are not those who prepared best, but those who can keep applying the longest.
Q&A
If AI literacy becomes a hiring requirement, which part will companies actually test: outputs, process, or tool familiarity?
Hiring screens are likely to focus on whether candidates can translate prompts into job relevant deliverables, not just whether they can use AI tools.
Why do some graduates say they are lucky after hearing from a dozen firms, even when they still wait months for offers?
Because the funnel collapsed: fewer firms show interest at all, so any replies and interviews feel like survival signals.
What happens to wages and contract work when entry roles vanish faster than experienced staff roles?
Employers can shift more work to contractors and interns for flexibility, while starting salaries face downward pressure for junior talent.
Could the vacancy drop reflect fewer postings, not less labor demand, and what would confirm that?
If companies move hiring to internal referrals or closed requisitions, posted vacancies will fall while actual hiring persists. Linked hiring data and recruiting pipeline reports would reveal it.
Historically, when tech adoption reshaped hiring, what tended to happen to early career pathways for new grads?
Early career paths often narrowed first, then stabilized after retraining programs and new job titles emerged to match the technology shift, but it typically took longer than students expect.
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