Worker prospects in Hong Kong hair, beauty sector not cut and dried amid staff shortages
Por Fiona Chow,Eric Jiang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Hong Kong economy Hong Kong Society Worker prospects in Hong Kong hair, beauty sector not cut and dried amid staff shortages
Despite 4.9 per cent vacancy rate, salons in Hong Kong face hiring challenges as many do not see hair and beauty care as rewarding career path
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Fiona Chow and Eric Jiang Published: 12:00pm, 10 Oct 2026
Hongkonger Terrence Wu Chung-ting puts on an apron, picks up a comb and massages hair essence into a client’s scalp during a treatment for hair loss.
But eight years ago, Wu’s job could not have been any more different. A finance graduate from one of the city’s top universities, he was then a marketer for beauty products and focused on sales.
But when he saw untapped potential in Hong Kong’s hairdressing industry, he boldly switched careers from a white-collar to a blue-collar profession, training to become a scalp therapist.
Wu, now in his mid-thirties, recalled starting from scratch by learning basic tasks such as shampooing and blow-drying hair.
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