Hong Kong industry leaders have called for priority hiring of local graduates and greater participation in overseas exchange programmes to address a shrinking job market, after full-time graduate vacancies plunged to about 31,000 last year.

Their remarks were made on Thursday after the city’s labour minister revealed that vacancies suitable for university graduates fell from about 80,000 in 2022 to around 31,000 in 2025 – a drop of 61 per cent.

“If local graduates face significant difficulties finding employment and experience high unemployment rates in certain industries, some restrictions could be implemented in these sectors,” said Lam Chun-sing, a lawmaker and chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, on a radio programme.

He said employers could be required to prioritise local university students, hiring non-local graduates only if they can demonstrate genuine recruitment difficulties and a lack of suitable local candidates.

He added that such measures could provide a degree of protection for local graduates.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Wednesday dismissed calls to review the city’s immigration scheme for non-local graduates or tighten talent scheme requirements, despite a sharp decline in entry-level roles.