Hong Kong accounting companies’ eye 2026 hiring rise amid in AI adoption

Hong Kong-based accounting companies plan to proceed increasing their workforce in 2026 whereas growing using synthetic intelligence (AI), positioning the expertise as a instrument to help employees and entice new entrants to the career, South China Morning Publish (SCMP) reported citing business gamers.

KPMG China companion of audit high quality {and professional} apply Andrew Wong was quoted by SCMP as saying: “We don’t consider AI is a alternative for people, and we’ve got not seen any discount in hiring prior to now nor will we plan to [reduce hiring] in future. We see AI and our folks as complementary to one another.”

Wong mentioned AI had improved high quality and effectivity and was additionally supporting expertise attraction and retention.

He added that AI was enabling KPMG China’s accountants to tackle new and totally different job roles, which was “precisely what younger persons are on the lookout for”.

He additionally mentioned that, within the context of huge information, AI was efficient in parsing developments and detecting anomalies from massive information units, whereas serving to to analyse complicated points.

Different main companies have outlined hiring plans alongside AI deployment. Deloitte China mentioned in October that it deliberate to rent about 1,000 folks in Hong Kong and make investments HK$500m ($64m) over the subsequent 4 years to develop capabilities in fintech, capital markets operations and AI.

EY senior companion and chief of Asia-Pacific turnaround and restructuring Derek Lai Kar-yan was quoted as saying: “Many younger professionals are concerned about careers in debt restructuring and liquidation, however they count on employers to supply AI instruments to reinforce their effectivity.
“That’s the reason we have to spend money on AI to draw younger expertise to affix our workforce.”

Lai mentioned he deliberate to develop his workforce from 80 to 130 in 2026 and anticipated demand for debt restructuring and liquidations may rise as a result of a weak economic system.

He additionally mentioned firms had been extra open to preventive restructuring to adapt to uncertainties reminiscent of geopolitical tensions and tariffs.

“Restructurings and liquidations contain a big quantity of paperwork and transaction information,” Lai mentioned.

“With AI summarising the paperwork and transcribing minutes of conferences, it saves employees quite a lot of time and helps enhance effectivity.”

He added that when he joined the business 36 years in the past, he spent lengthy hours reviewing paperwork as a result of absence of AI instruments.

“Now with AI, analysing paperwork has been sped up over 10 occasions, which might make restructuring and liquidation extra attention-grabbing and interesting to younger expertise,” he mentioned.

Individually, Manulife Monetary Asia non-executive chairman and Monetary Providers Growth Council director Damien Inexperienced referred to the Microsoft/LinkedIn Annual Work Development Index, saying workers wished to make use of AI at work and wished their firms to atone for adoption.

Inexperienced mentioned: “The event and integration of AI capabilities within the skilled providers workforce of the long run is essential for Hong Kong as a world monetary centre.”

Inexperienced added that the federal government had been selling AI and information science growth via the HK$3bn Frontier Expertise Analysis Help Scheme and mentioned the government-backed suppose tank was working with the business on initiatives geared toward serving to early-career professionals and college students put together to make use of AI.

“Hong Kong accounting companies’ eye 2026 hiring rise amid in AI adoption” was initially created and revealed by Worldwide Accounting Bulletin, a GlobalData owned model.

The data on this web site has been included in good religion for normal informational functions solely. It’s not supposed to quantity to recommendation on which it is best to rely, and we give no illustration, guarantee or assure, whether or not categorical or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. It’s essential to receive skilled or specialist recommendation earlier than taking, or refraining from, any motion on the premise of the content material on our web site.