WhendiscussinginequalityandpovertyinHongKong,scholarsandpoliticiansoftenfocusonthefailuresofgovernmentpolicyandpushforanincreaseinsocialwelfare.RichardWongarguesinFixingInequalityinHongKongthatuniversalretirementsupport,minimumwage,andstandardhoursofworkareoflimitedeffectinshrinkingtheinequalitygap.BycomparingHongKongwithSingapore,hepointsoutthatHongKongneedsanewandlong-termstrategyonhumanresourcepolicy.Herecommendsmoreinvestmentineducation,focusingonearlyeducationandimmigrationpolicyreformstoattracthighlyeducatedandskilledpeopletojointheworkforce.
Inanalyzingwhatcausesinequality,thisbooktiesdisparateissuestogetherintoacoherentframework,suchasHongKong’sagingpopulation,lackofinvestmentinhumancapital,andfamilybreakdowns.Risingdivorceratesamonglow-incomehouseholdshaveworsenedthehousingshortage,drivingrentsandpropertypricesupwards.Housingproblemshavecreatedabiggergapbetweenthosewhoownhousingandhavetheabilitytoinvestintheirchildren’shumancapitalandthosewhocannot,thusadverselyimpactingintergenerationalupwardmobility.
ThisisthethirdofRichardWong’scollectionsofarticlesonsocietyandeconomyinHongKong.DiversityandOccasionalAnarchyandHongKongLandforHongKongPeople,publishedbyHongKongUniversityPressin2013and2015respectively,discussgrowingeconomicandsocialcontradictionsinHongKongandcurrenthousingproblemsandtheirsolutions.
