Hong Kong’s finance jobs rebound as IPOs recover

Hong Kong’s investment banking job market is showing signs of recovery, with licensed finance professionals rising to 42,254 in February from 42,044 at the end of 2023, Bloomberg Intelligence said, citing Securities and Futures Commission data. IPO activity is expected to double to over USD22bn in 2025, prompting brokerages like Citic Securities and China Merchants Securities to rehire laid-off bankers, many of whom were formerly at UBS or Credit Suisse. Wealth and asset management roles are also expanding, with licences up 5% since 2023. Private banking jobs remain highly lucrative, with relationship managers in Hong Kong earning up to 46% more than peers in Singapore, China, and Japan, according to a Hays survey, reinforcing the city’s appeal for finance talent.