A comparison of occupational well-being between Chinese immigrant and local workers

To extend the existing literature, we evaluate the effects of various resources and stress-related factors on the occupational well-being of immigrant and local workers in Hong Kong. By comparing the two groups, we hope to further clarify the differences in the work orientations, constraints and perceptions of immigrants and local workers in Hong Kong, and determine the influence of these factors on their occupational well-being. The Hong Kong workforce is rapidly changing. The first remarkable change is the ageing workforce: workers aged 40 or above accounted for 56.58 per cent of the total Hong Kong workforce in 2013, and the figure is expected to increase to 61.96 per cent by 2041 (Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department 2012). Together with the continuous decline of the birth rate, Hong Kong is expected to encounter a reduction in the young working population and a general decline in the labour force. Similar to other nations, Hong Kong could offset the depletion of manpower by attracting migrant workers. A huge proportion of the migrant working population comes from mainland China. Numerous studies have examined the importance of the economic production of the migrant working population in Hong Kong (Chiu, Choi and Ting 2005; Ou and Pong 2013; Zhang and Wu 2011). However, studies that examine the occupational well-being and workplace adjustment of migrant workers in Hong Kong are scarce. This chapter provides an overview of the literature on Chinese migrant workers in Hong Kong. It subsequently presents the results of a local household survey conducted in 2014 concerning the Hong Kong Chinese migrants. The final section of this chapter discussed strategies for enhancing the occupational well-being of Chinese immigrant workers.