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Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Kwok-che and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, in the Legislative Council today (November 13):
Question:
Some social workers providing support services for the ethnic minorities have relayed to me that as the ethnic minorities often encounter difficulties in seeking employment, the Labour Department (LD) should set up an employment services division dedicated to providing, free of charge, the ethnic minorities and the employers concerned with employment placement and recruitment services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of able-bodied persons from the ethnic minorities who registered with LD for employment services in each of the past three years and, among them, the number of those who succeeded in securing employment, with a breakdown by nationality/race (e.g. Indonesians, Filipinos, Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Japanese, Thais, Koreans, other Asians and Caucasians);
(b) of the number of disabled persons from the ethnic minorities who registered with the Selective Placement Division of LD for employment services in each of the past three years and, among them, the number of those who succeeded in securing employment, with a breakdown by nationality/race (e.g. Indonesians, Filipinos, Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Japanese, Thais, Koreans, other Asians and Caucasians); and
(c) whether LD will set up an employment services division dedicated to providing services for the ethnic minorities; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
My reply to the question raised by the Hon Cheung Kwok-che is as follows:
(a) In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the numbers of able-bodied persons from the ethnic minorities who registered with LD for employment services were 1 234, 901 and 981 respectively. A breakdown of these job seekers by ethnic origin is provided in the table below:
No. of job seekers
Ethnic Origin 2010 2011 2012
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Pakistani 284 220 245
Indian 285 160 185
Filipino 170 178 158
Nepalese 146 84 98
Indonesian 109 78 69
Thai 59 66 67
Other ethnicity 181 115 159
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Total 1 234 901 981
Able-bodied job seekers who have registered with LD for employment services may be placed into employment either through the referral services of LD or by direct application to employers who advertise their vacancies through LD. Currently, over 90% of the vacancies advertised through LD are open for direct application by job seekers. Those who have secured employment through direct application are not required to report their placements to LD. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, 105, 72 and 61 placements were secured for able-bodied job seekers from the ethnic minorities through the referral services of LD. A breakdown of these placements by ethnic origin is provided in the table below:
No. of placements
Ethnic Origin 2010 2011 2012
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Pakistani 21 11 8
Indian 11 10 4
Filipino 23 12 18
Nepalese 6 4 1
Indonesian 12 13 14
Thai 13 14 8
Other ethnicity 19 8 8
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Total 105 72 61
(b) In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the numbers of ethnic minority job seekers with disabilities registered with the Selective Placement Division (SPD) of LD for employment services were 24, 22 and 16 respectively. A breakdown of these job seekers with disabilities by ethnic origin is provided in the table below:
No. of job seekers
Ethnic Origin 2010 2011 2012
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Pakistani 6 3 4
Indian 2 1 1
Filipino 3 3 3
Nepalese 7 11 3
Indonesian 1 1 1
Thai 0 0 0
Other ethnicity 5 3 4
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Total 24 22 16
In 2010, 2011 and 2012, 4, 11 and 9 placements were secured for ethnic minority job seekers with disabilities through the employment services of SPD of LD. A breakdown of these placements by ethnic origin is provided in the table below:
No. of placements
Ethnic Origin 2010 2011 2012
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Pakistani 0 0 0
Indian 0 0 0
Filipino 2 3 0
Nepalese 0 0 2
Indonesian 0 1 4
Thai 0 0 0
Other ethnicity 2 7 3
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Total 4 11 9
(c) At present, LD provides comprehensive employment services to help able-bodied job seekers, including ethnic minority job seekers, through a network of 12 job centres, two industry-based recruitment centres, the Telephone Employment Service Centre, the Interactive Employment Service website and numerous vacancy search terminals located throughout the territory. In addition to a wide range of employment services available for all job seekers, LD has set up special counters and resource corners at all its job centres to provide job referral services to assist ethnic minority job seekers. Furthermore, tailor-made employment briefings are organised regularly to help them better understand the local employment market situation and improve job search skills. Ethnic minority job seekers can meet Employment Officers who will provide them with information on the employment market situation and training/retraining courses, conduct career aptitude assessment, and/or provide job search advice in accordance with their individual needs. Employment Officers will also assist job seekers to participate in LD's various employment programmes to enhance their employability.
Furthermore, LD liaises with employers to canvass vacancies suitable for ethnic minority job seekers and encourages them to give employment opportunities to ethnic minorities. LD advises employers placing vacancies with LD of the need to consider the genuine occupational needs when specifying the language requirement. Large-scale and district-based job fairs are also organised to enhance the flow of vacancy information and provide on-the-spot job interview opportunities so as to help job seekers, including those from ethnic minorities, find work early and employers recruit staff. LD has strengthened its collaboration with non-governmental organisations providing services to ethnic minorities, and has also made use of the community network of the Police Community Relations Office of the Hong Kong Police Force, to actively publicise LD's employment services and disseminate information on the job fairs to ethnic minorities.
In respect of the employment of persons with disabilities, SPD of LD provides personalised in-depth employment services to job seekers with disabilities (including ethnic minority job seekers with disabilities) for open employment. The placement officers will conduct interviews with job seekers to understand their job aspirations, provide them with the latest information on the employment market, match job seekers to vacancies offered by employers and refer suitable candidates to job interviews where appropriate. After job seekers have successfully secured employment, the placement officers would keep in view their progress and provide assistance where necessary to ensure harmonious working relationship.
These show that LD has been providing dedicated and personalised employment service respectively for the able-bodied persons and persons with disabilities from the ethnic minorities. We have no plans to set up an employment services division for the ethnic minorities.
Ends/Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:17
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