Is there a way out of poverty? A critical investigation of youth poverty and employment in Hong Kong

Youth poverty is a global issue and Hong Kong is not an exception. Following youth poverty dynamics discussions, scholars identified certain structural and institutional factors in the labor markets as well as individuals’ and households’ conditions on the probability of poverty entries and exits. Job quality and job stability was highlighted as a crucial protection against youth poverty. In other words, youth poverty is increasingly associated with precarious employment. This project investigates precarious employment and youth poverty in the two districts: Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, as two districts with the largest number of poor households. It seeks to understand the perception of young workers on precarious employment, poverty, and their sense of future, and to critically review the youth policies launched by the Hong Kong SAR government.