On 10 February 2026, the Hong Kong government announced that the Chief Executive in Council has endorsed the Minimum Wage Commission’s recommendation to increase the statutory minimum wage (SMW) from HK$42.1 per hour to HK$43.1 per hour. This represents an increase of HK$1 per hour, or 2.38%.
In tandem with the upward adjustment to the SMW rate, the monthly threshold for keeping records of hours worked by employees in a wage period will also be increased to HK$17,600 (currently at HK$17,200) per month. In other words, an employer will only be exempted from such record keeping requirement if the wages payable to the employee for the relevant wage period are not less than HK$17,600 per month.
The above proposed amendments are scheduled to be tabled in the Legislative Council on 25 February 2026. Subject to the Legislative Council’s approval, it is expected that the amendments will come into effect on 1 May 2026.
Employers and HR practitioners should keep an eye on the developments in this regard and review their employment arrangements to ensure compliance with the new SMW rate (once it comes into force).
See here for the press release issued by the Hong Kong government.
