Assessing the connection between overeducation and migration intention in Hong Kong’s young working adults

ABSTRACT

This study addresses the link between overeducation and intention to migrate to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities in mainland China in a sample of Hong Kong’s young adults employed in lower occupational classes (elementary occupations, plant and machine operators and assemblers, craft and related workers, and service and sales workers). The results indicate that overeducation has a unique negative effect on attitudes towards migration to GBA. The findings suggest that social capital theory rather than human capital theory is better able to explain the motivation of Hong Kong’s young people to invest in higher education. This research may help policy makers review the expansion of higher education in Hong Kong and provide valuable policy implications for regional integration between Hong Kong and mainland China.

KEYWORDS:

• Greater bay area
• gba
• hong kong
• human capital
• migration
• overeducation
• social capital
• young working adults

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Collaboration and Development Fund, Lingnan University Research Committee (Fund recipient: Professor Ka Ho Mok).

Notes on contributors

Ka Ho Mok

Joshua Ka-ho MOK Professor Mok is the Vice-President and concurrently Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Comparative Policy of Lingnan University (Hong Kong). Professor Mok is no narrow disciplinary specialist but has worked creatively across the academic worlds of sociology, political science, and public and social policy while building up his wide knowledge of China and the region. Professor Mok has published extensively in the fields of comparative education policy, comparative development and policy studies, and social development in contemporary China and East Asia.

Alex Yue Feng Zhu

Alex Yue Feng ZHU Dr. Zhu is Research Assistant Professor in the Institute of Policy Studies of Lingnan University (Hong Kong). Dr. Zhu focuses on addressing youth issues in Hong Kong, and has published extensively in the fields of family and economic issues, financial literacy education, and financial counseling and planning.