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