The unemployment rate in Hong Kong rose to 5 percent for the January to March period. The figure is up 0.5 percent compared to the previous three-month period ending February. It is the highest figure since the city recorded a 5.4 percent jobless rate for the rolling three-month period from April to June 2021, reports the South China Morning Post.
63%
The percentage of senior executives in Hong Kong and Mainland China that expect a pay rise, according to Hong Kong Executive Salary Outlook 2022. The survey, released by KPMG this month, found that companies were willing to increase salaries in a bid to retain staff. Staff in the financial services sector were most optimistic, with 55 percent anticipating a higher bonus this year.
“There is strong public interest in seeking to align where possible the internatonal and jurisdictional requirements for sustainability disclosures. We have a window of opportunity to do just that. ”
– Emmanuel Faber, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Chair, said regarding working group meetings. The ISSB announced on 27 April the formation of a working group of jurisdictional representatives to establish dialogue for enhanced compatibility between the ISSB’s exposure drafts that are currently open for comment and ongoing jurisdictional initiatives on sustainability disclosures.
HK$15 billion
The value of the initial tranche of Hong Kong’s inaugural retail green bonds, which was issued on 26 April. CMB Wing Lung Bank said applicants had subscribed to HK$210,000 worth of bonds on average, while the highest subscription amount was HK$10 million.
US$44 billion
The total transaction value of Elon Musk’s deal with Twitter this month, which saw the billionaire entrepreneur acquire the social network for US$54.20 per share in cash. The deal, which will take the company private, is expected to close this year.
55%
The percentage of survey respondents who were aware of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment and planned to invest in ESG products in the next 12 months, according to a joint survey conducted by Pictet Asset Management and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Financial Reporting Considerations for Closing Out 2021
The title of a publication issued by the Institute which highlights key accounting considerations for entities preparing their December 2021 financial statements. More details in Technical news.
HK$2.67 billion
The net profit of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) for the first three months of 2022. The figure marks the exchange’s biggest decline in more than five years and is the result of fewer initial public offerings (IPOs). “We were not immune to global market sentiment which resulted in some softness in the IPO market,” the HKEX’s Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Aguzin said in a statement.
5.1%
The percentage by which China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index plunged on 25 April, closing at a 22-month low. Meanwhile, the Hang Seng Index fell 3.7 percent. Global stocks fell amid fears that Beijing and other major Chinese cities could face a Shanghai-style lockdown.
