Government reports have revealed that for many unemployed residents of the SAR it can take anything from six months up to find full-time employment.
So, it was rather surprising to hear that Hong Kong channel Asia Television's (ATV) latest 'quiz show' called - Win a Job - attracted only a meagre response despite the growing ranks of unemployed.
How could a show promising jobs only attract just 30 applicants out of the 275,000 unemployed in the city?
Yet a similar programme launched some months ago in economically-devastated Argentina lured thousands of would-be contenders all vying for the chance to win a job, any job. The jobs offered were basic, with opportunities to work as waiters or window cleaners.
The idea behind both shows is that three finalists make it to the studio for what is basically a publically broadcast job interview.
The contenders are asked questions about their personal life and economic difficulties, and the audience must vote for the most 'deserving' person - as in the person with the most heart-wrenching story. If you think that sounds like a rather demeaning way to get employed, then judging by the response to ATV's show, you are not alone.
Still, the programming may have fared better had ATV come with a slightly more creative tag line for its show. Instead, the station settled for Win a Job - You got a job.
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