AI trainer tops Hong Kong enterprises’ cross‑border hiring list

As competition for specialised talent intensifies globally, AI trainer has emerged as the single most in-demand cross-border role among Hong Kong enterprises - for both employees of record and contractors, ranking above mobile application developer, software developer and business developer.

This AI-specific surge is unique to larger enterprises, and does not appear among smaller companies, whose top cross-border roles remain software developer, sales manager, and software tester. With the city gradually building out AI labs and research ecosystems, major corporations are already looking overseas to plug critical talent gaps.

The insights come from Deel’s annual State of Global Hiring Report, based on data from more than one million worker contracts across over 37,000 companies in more than 150 countries. The global study examines how organisations hire across borders and how talent flows are shifting.

Deel’s data shows that Hong Kong companies are expanding their hiring footprint with a clear emphasis on accessing high-skill talent rather than offshoring for cost savings.

The growing appetite for AI talent reflects a broader market shift. According to Deel’s employment marketplace partner SEEK, demand for AI-related skills in Hong Kong has risen 38% since 2019, with AI competencies now appearing in 4.8% of all Hong Kong job postings on SEEK as of February 2026.

Across Hong Kong enterprises, the top three cross-border roles among employees of record are sales manager, business developer, and software developer. The strongest cross-border hiring demand comes from the technology & telecom, professional and business services, and finance and insurance sectors.

The main source markets for these hires are India, the United States, and the United Kingdom—all high-skill, high-income markets—underscoring the global trend that cross-border hiring is driven by specialised talent access, not cost arbitrage.

The data also highlights deepening integration with the Greater Bay Area talent corridor. Mainland China is emerging as a significant talent source, ranking as the fifth most common worker country for Hong Kong companies (employees of record and contractors combined), with hiring up 56% year-on-year. This points to expanding cross-border talent mobility and closer regional ties.

At the same time, as Hong Kong businesses look outward for skills, Hong Kong professionals themselves are increasingly hired across borders. The United States is the top destination for Hong Kong employees hired internationally via the employer of record model, up 51.5% year-on-year, followed by the United Kingdom and Singapore. The leading roles Hong Kong talent fills abroad are business developer, software developer, and sales manager—suggesting Hong Kong professionals are sought after globally for both technical expertise and commercial acumen.

Karen Ng, regional head of expansion, enterprise, North and South Asia, Deel, said: "Hong Kong’s enterprise sector is no longer just talking about AI, they are building the infrastructure for it. What stands out in this year's data is the signal at the enterprise level: AI trainer has become the top cross-border hire for larger companies in the city. Building a solid AI talent pipeline will depend on ease of access to global talent, and that's exactly what Deel enables."

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