Liberal Studies Project Stage 2 (By Sam)***

1. Statistics shown the poverty issue is never resolving and it revolts more severely. In 1996, there are 85700 households that have less than HK$4000 per month, but in 2000, the number increases to 178000. It is 8.4% of the total households in Hong Kong.
2. Who are the victims of poverty?
a. The new immigrants from the China Mainland. Because of the language, education qualification and the degree of adaptability, they may not be so easy to find employment. Their jobs are mainly unskilled and under-paid.
b. In 1996, the government statistic shows us that 14.1% of the total population of the poor is aged about 60. The elderly retired without much retirement support are the victims of poverty.
c. In 1988, there are 49000 factories, but in 1997, it reduces to 25000. In 1988, there are 830000 workers, but in 1997, it reduces to 280000. Hong Kong society is a post-industrial society, and its characteristics are a “service society”, “information society”, “knowledge society” and “network society”.Such society is especially unfavorable to the semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
d. Globalization is another factor threatening the poor. In order to lower the cost of production, sub-contracting becomes a normal practice in contemporary businesses. Sub-contracting brings the cost of production down as well as the wages.
e. Since the 1990s, there are 150 people daily from the China Mainland to immigrate to Hong Kong. Most of them are unskilled, and they have low market value. At the same time, many of them are below 30 years old, and their arrival directly challenge the existing labor market. On the one hand, they lower the salary, and on the other, they easily replace the unskilled job of those who are 40. Unemployment and employment but in poverty (due to the low wages) are the results of this change. In fact, we find that the rate of unemployment is very high within the aged group of mid-40s.
f. Learning a new skill for the middle-age workers is more difficult than we are supposed to be. Furthermore, in a new economy, a new skill is important as well as the new attitude and mentality, and the latter is something related to the educational background.
g. The unemployment rate of teenagers is about 20%. In the past, when we still had our industries, many of them could be the apprenticeship.
3. The Dilemma faced by different parties in handling the poverty issue.
a. Hong Kong is a small economy with scarce natural resources. It maintains itself as a small government and let the market to balance the flow of economy. Hence, it may be negligible effort to deal with poverty issue.
b. Globalisation and to diminish the cost of production as well as the maximization of profits will cause the poor in a more unfavourable condition. One local government can help much in such situation. Policy is a piecemeal effect only.

By Sam Kwok

Liberal Studies Project Stage 2 ***

Stage 2
The reason why the poverty of Hong Kong is increasing
1. Insufficient government policies
- No minimum wages protection to protect unskilled labour. For those unskilled labours, they cannot find a job with reasonable wages for them.
- Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme was only implemented in December 2000. The people have to rely on their own savings after retirement.

2. Too many low income earners (working poor)
- There were altogether 517,000 persons aged 0-59 living in households with income below Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) payment in 2008.
- Persons aged 15-59 living in households with income below average CSSA payment amounted to 380,500 in 2008.

3. Unemployed people – they cannot find a good job (or even a job) with various reasons
- Some poor may have some unfavourable identity which the society dislikes, such as pregnant women, new immigrants to Hong Kong, the workless, single parent etc. This cause they cannot find a job, and thus they can’t get out of their poor condition.
- The number of unemployed persons aged 15-59 amounted to 127,400 in 2008. There were a total of 244,900 persons aged 15-59 living in households in 2008.
- Persons unemployed for 6 months or longer – 27,200 in 2008.
- Persons unemployed for 12 months or longer – 14,300 in 2008.

4. Some people have to rely on CSSA. For instance, they have to take care of their children or family and cannot work. Then, they cannot improve their living standard.
- The total number of CSSA recipients across all case categories was at 475,600 at end of 2008 (6.8% of the total population).
- The reason for the above point is that the CSSA isn’t enough and thus, the poor is difficult to get out of the poor condition.






5. Discrimination on some people, such as the old & the disabled
- Persons with permanent disability/temporary disability/ill health and relying on CSSA
- 52,500 persons in 2008
- Some organization of disability said that many of the disabled want to have a job, but the employers wouldn’t like to interview them. Although, there are some lucky ones, they only get some simple and low-waged job!

- Old aged persons without savings and have to rely on CSSA
- There were 185,000 persons in 2008.


By H.Y.Leung, Joe

Liberal Studies Stage 1

貧窮人口高逾123萬人，較去年底急升逾2萬人，當中有27萬人是長者，貧窮率達32%，青年貧窮率亦有顯著上升。二零零九年上半年本港共有123萬6 千人生活於貧窮家庭，貧窮率達17.9%；對比去年底，本港的貧窮人口急增了2萬4千多人。

　　當中尤其以青年貧窮問題顯著惡化，青年貧窮率由1999 年的15.4%升至2009 年的20%，人數達到18 萬人。至於中年貧窮問題，受到人口結構改變影響，中年貧窮人口也由1999 年的

23 萬人升至2009 年的34 萬人。

　　按年齡組別劃分，發現65歲或以上長者的貧窮問題最嚴重，多達32%的長者，即近27萬人為貧窮人口；其次是15至24歲青年，貧窮率為20%。而青年貧窮人口亦有顯著上升，十年內由14萬4千人，激增20%至17萬6千人。

　　香港貧窮問題持續嚴峻，貧窮人口超過123 萬，而聯合國《2008/2009 年度世界城市狀況：和諧城市》報告亦指岀，香港是亞洲貧富懸殊最嚴重的城市，堅尼系數達0.53，遠高於警戒線

的0.4。

09 年上半年：

貧窮人口：124 萬貧窮率：17.9%

年齡組別	人數(2009)	比率
兒童	21萬	24.5%
青年	18萬	20.0%
成人	23萬	10.6%
中年	34萬	17.0%
老人	27萬	32.1%

年份	人數		比率
1999	1,130,000		17.2%
2000	1,214,000		18.3%
2001	1,187,000		17.8%
2002	1,186,000		17.7%
2003	1,166,000		17.4%
2004	1,186,000		17.6%
2005	1,161,000		17.2%
2006	1,206,000		17.8%
2007	1,223,000		17.9%
2008	1,212,000		17.6%
2009	1,236,000		17.9%

區議會	低收入人數比率
深水埗	25.8%
元朗	25.8%
葵青	25.1%
觀塘	25.0%
離島及水上	24.8%
黃大仙	24.4%
北區	22.5%
屯門	22.1%
大埔	19.7%
油尖旺	18.3%
沙田	17.0%
荃灣	16.8%
九龍城	16.5%
西貢	15.5%
南區	15.2%
東區	15.0%
中西區	11.7%
灣仔	11.3%

Source from www.hkcss.org.hk & www.chinareviewnews.com