A cognitive mapping study of “the impact of covid-19 on the Hong Kong society in 2023”
The following news article is from Hong Kong Free Press (re: https://hongkongfp.com/2023/09/20/hong-kongs-wealth-gap-widens-as-city-sees-polarised-post-covid-recovery-ngo-oxfam-says/)
Quote
Hong Kong’s wealth gap widens as city sees ‘polarised’ post-Covid recovery, NGO Oxfam says, by KELLY HO12:51, 20 SEPTEMBER 2023
Hong Kong’s poorest made
almost 60 times less than the wealthiest in the first quarter of 2023, marking
the widest income gap in the city in decades, a study by Oxfam’s local office
has found.
In the first four months of
2023, the median monthly income of the poorest 10 per cent of households in
Hong Kong stood at HK$2,300, 57.7 times less than the wealthiest 10 per cent,
which earned HK$132,600, Oxfam Hong Kong said on Tuesday citing data from the
Census and Statistics Department.
The overall median household
income was HK$29,500 per month, marking a 1.7 per cent increase compared to
before the pandemic.
The overall poverty rate
reached 20 per cent in the first quarter, meaning more than 1.36 million people
were living poverty in Hong Kong, the NGO said. The wealth gap showed that
although the city had returned to normalcy following the pandemic, the path to
economic recovery for low-income and high-income families was “sharply
divided,” it said.
“Despite society returning to
normal, the problem of income inequality is becoming increasingly serious. The
slow recovery of low income families have sounded alarm bells for the whole
society,” said Karlina Tsang, director general of Oxfam Hong Kong.
Oxfam’s study found that
nearly 210,000 people – or 6.4 per cent of the city’s population with a job –
were living in poverty despite being employed. More than 80 per cent of this
group were employed in low-skilled jobs, with one in 10 workers in the retail,
accommodation, and food services sectors experiencing working poverty.
The city reported a 3.1 per
cent unemployment rate in the first quarter, which fell from 3.5 per cent in
the preceding quarter. The government said in a
economic report in May that unemployment and underemployment continued to
improve, but Oxfam said on Tuesday that employment remained “precarious,” as
some working in low-paid positions were laid off or dismissed after the
pandemic.
The NGO said the widening income disparity was partly due to the loss of low-skilled
jobs after the pandemic, pointing to a lower demand for cleaners. Some members
of low-income households also lost their jobs as operations were digitalised in
the post-Covid era, Oxfam said.
The government should adjust
the minimum wage annually to catch up with inflation and offer better income
protection, Oxfam said. A more generous minimum wage could also help the city
attract potential labour force, it said.
The authorities should also
promote the concept of a “living wage,” whereby people are paid enough to cover
their basic needs, such as accommodation and urgent medical fees for them and
their families, Oxfam said.
“Before importing foreign
labour, our organisation calls on the government to adjust the minimum wage,
create jobs for the most disadvantaged groups, and offer incentives to support
employment at the grassroots level,” Tsang said.
One potential incentives would
be improving childcare services, the NGO said, which could allow women from
low-income families, who were previously unable to join the workforce owing to
their duties as caretakers, to find jobs.
End quote
The following cognitive map is constructed
by me based on the news article above:
There are 4 categories of items:
Category A: Direct impact of covid-19
Item 1: Impact of covid-19
Item 2: Lower demand for cleaners
Item 3: More operation being digitalized
Category B: Immediate outcomes
Item 4: Reduce low paid jobs
Item 7: Improve participation in the labour market
Category C: Ultimate outcomes
Item 10: Increasing poverty rate, including working poverty
Item 11: Widening income gap in HK
Category D: Policy-related options
Item 5: Import more foreign labour
Item 6: Improve childcare services support
Item 8: More support of basic needs for the poor, e.g. accommodation
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