Precarity and Struggles of Employment: A Case Study of Undergraduates in Hong Kong

Abstract

Despite having acquired an education that should prepare them for the workforce, many fresh graduates are facing difficulties in securing gainful employment in Hong Kong. Drawing on the concept of “employment precarity”, this study examines the predicaments that fresh university graduates encounter in Hong Kong in relation to social identity transition and job-seeking barriers. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, the researchers adopt a qualitative methodology to examine the written reflections of eight undergraduate students at a university in Hong Kong. (1) The findings reveal that students experience frustration, anxiety and uncertainty during the transition, indicating a need for improvement in the current pedagogical policies. (2) Recommendations are offered for higher education policymakers and universities to help alleviate these hardships. New sets of pedagogical strategies are developed to mitigate graduates’ exposure to employment precarity and to enhance their employability.