Hiring prospects set for rebound

Higher incomes have led to more frequent travel by Chinese consumers and triggered the need for more quality hotels. According to a study conducted by China's largest online travel agency Ctrip.com, 99 percent of the Chinese people said they made travel plans this year, while 51 percent said they plan to make at least three trips this year. Such an enthusiasm for travel has also led to greater demand for talent with the expertise to manage hotel properties.

In the banking and financial services sector, positive hiring intentions reached a three-year high with one-third of the surveyed employers indicating that they plan to add more employees this year.

"The rapid expansion of the domestic financial services industry, especially the boom in e-payment services in recent years, has added a lot of job opportunities. Internet related skills such as e-finance product development and Web-based business planning are driving an increased appetite for hiring, together with traditional growth areas like risk and compliance and relationship management," said Cheuk.

About 56.8 percent of the employers from the IT&T sector expressed willingness to hire more people in the next six months. The outlook for local Internet and e-commerce companies looks bright with IT engineers experienced in software development for smart devices in great demand, Cheuk said.

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