Understanding Migration into Greater Bay Area Cities in Mainland China as an Investment for Hong Kong Young Adults

This study conceptualized migration to Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities in Mainland China as an investment with both risk and potential gain. With a large-scale sample of younger adults in Hong Kong, we used k-mean cluster analysis to identify risk-takers in the migration case who were fully aware of both risk and potential gain and were still willing to migrate to GBA cities to venture for a better life, upward social mobility, or other personal objectives. Binary logistic regression was used to assess how biopsychosocial, environmental, and participating factors predicted the likelihood of a person becoming a risk-taker and being willing to tolerate the risk associated with migration. Results showed that being female, having experience of visiting a Mainland city, and not being a full-time employee in the hotel and catering industries were associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a risk-taker. Findings offer valuable policy implications for promoting GBA plans among young adults in Hong Kong.