PwC: Artificial Intelligence Boosts Productivity, Hong Kong Related Job Demand Continues to Grow

The "Global Artificial Intelligence Employment Weather Report 2025" report by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that the potential of artificial intelligence to empower enterprises has begun to emerge, with almost all positions involving AI applications increasing in quantity. Highly automated positions have also seen an increase, contrary to some people's expectations. In Hong Kong, although the number of new job vacancies decreased compared to the previous two years in 2024, the proportion of job vacancies related to AI skills has increased from 1.6% to 1.9% year-on-year. PricewaterhouseCoopers pointed out that since the widespread popularity of generative AI in 2022, in industries heavily influenced by AI, productivity growth has nearly doubled, increasing from 7% in the period from 2018-2022 to 27% in the period from 2018-2024. In contrast, in industries with less influence from AI (such as mining and hospitality), productivity growth during the same period decreased from 10% to 9%. Data from 2024 shows that in industries greatly affected by AI, the average revenue growth per employee is three times higher than in industries less affected. Carol Stubbings, Global Chief Business Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said that the potential for AI to empower enterprises has begun to emerge, and companies are still in the early stages of transformation. With the gradual adoption of agent-based AI by enterprises, the appropriate integration of technology and culture can bring about significant new opportunities, rethink how organizations operate, and create value. In recent years, the number of positions with less influence from AI has seen strong growth, while the number of positions heavily influenced by AI has remained stable. In professions greatly influenced by AI, job positions can be further divided into "automated" and "enhanced" positions. From 2019 to 2024, both types of positions showed growth trends in each industry analyzed, with enhanced positions typically growing faster. In Hong Kong, the information and communication industry has shown the most stable growth in new job vacancies, increasing from 6.4% in 2021 to 7.2% in 2024. Meanwhile, the demand for AI skills in other industries has remained relatively stable. At the same time, there is a common trend across various industries in Hong Kong: the demand for positions enhanced by AI has increased by 6%, while fully automated positions have decreased by about 7%. The industry with the widest application of AI enhancements in Hong Kong is public administration and defense, with an increase of over 50% in AI-related positions. Furthermore, since 2021, the energy and water supply industries have seen an increase of over 30% in AI-enhanced positions, reflecting the growing demand for positions that combine AI with human expertise.