Tam, V. W. Y.; Fung, I. W. H.; Evangelista, A. C. J.; Zhou, Y.; Liu, L. and Chan, W. Y. (2026) Sustainable employability assessment of construction workers in Hong Kong: Challenges and improvement strategies. International Journal of Construction Management, 26(10), pp. 2205-2227. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
The construction industry in Hong Kong faces significant labour challenges, including an ageing workforce, declining work ability, and difficulty attracting and retaining talent. A literature review of 25 relevant publications revealed few empirical studies on factors affecting the sustainable employability of construction workers, though some research has addressed issues like physical strain and job satisfaction. This study aims to explore the key factors influencing long-term employability in the industry. Using a qualitative approach, it involved site observations and semi-structured interviews with nine frontline workers across three projects. The results identified three main factors: physical, psychological, and organisational/industry-level. Key findings include: 1) musculoskeletal disorders and age-related physical decline are common but underreported due to wage models and site culture; 2) psychological factors like job control and social support are crucial for maintaining motivation and wellbeing; and 3) organisational factors, such as payment structures and safety practices, impact work ability and retention. The study suggests that sustainable employability cannot be improved through isolated interventions and proposes strategies like monthly wage systems, mentoring programs, agesensitive task allocations, and wellness measures. Despite its limited sample size, the study provides valuable insights for developing labour policies to enhance sustainable employability in Hong Kong's construction sector.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction workers; Hong Kong; musculoskeletal disorder; sustainable employability; workability |
| Index terms: | interview, motivation, frontline worker, job satisfaction, mentoring, strategy, literature review, construction worker, Hong Kong, well-being, job control, employability, retention, sample size, publication, construction sector, program, empirical study, organizational factor, face, qualitative approach, workability, construction industry |
| Subjects: | design methods, human resources and leadership, business, practitioner, training, mental health and wellbeing, psychology, management, industry analysis, Geography, research methods, data collection methods, research dissemination and communication, research design and methodology, software systems, data analysis and analytics |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Research Practice, Information Management, Geographical Context, Roles and Professions, Health and Safety, Design Practice, Organizational Design, Human Resources, Business Strategy, Education |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here