Hong Kong constructors have begun a “hiring spree” in response to an anticipated infrastructure boom over the next five years, reports the South China Morning Post.

The Hong Kong government’s spending on public works is due to total over HK$58bn (£4.8bn) for this year and next.

The state’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) corporation alone expects to create 17,000 jobs in the next five years, with posts 1,500 opening at a recruitment fair this week.

Peter Pang Chi-kong, MTR’s programming and land manager, told the South China Morning Post that as 40% of construction workers are currently 50 years or over, hiring younger workers is a priority.