| Year | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| No. | 12869 | 6697 | 4092 | 2557 | 1447 | 1660 | 1242 | 936 |
| Year | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| No. | 891 | 1009 | 1144 | 1101 | 1338 | 1595 | 1837 | 2003 |
| Year | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| No. | 2415 | 2976 | 2990 | 4169 | 4769 | 4930 | 5298 |
Operational Definitions
The number of imported workers remaining in Hong Kong as at end of each year under the Supplementary Labour Scheme (SLS)**. The SLS, administered by the Labour Department, was started in 1996. The SLS allows the entry of imported workers to take up jobs at technician level or below which cannot be filled locally. It operates on the principles of ensuring the priority of local workers in employment while allowing employers with proven local recruitment difficulties to import labour to fill the necessary job vacancies.
Footnote
All figures are collected from Labour Department since 1996.
(**Note: For the years 1997 and 1998, the figures are the total number of imported workers remaining in Hong Kong under three schemes, namely, General Labour Importation Scheme, Special Labour Importation Scheme for the New Airport and Related Projects and Supplementary Labour Scheme (SLS). As the General Labour Importation Scheme and the Special Labour Importation Scheme for the New Airport and Related Projects have been shelved in 1995 and 1999 respectively, the figures from 1999 onward are the number of imported workers under SLS only.)
(**Note: For the years 1997 and 1998, the figures are the total number of imported workers remaining in Hong Kong under three schemes, namely, General Labour Importation Scheme, Special Labour Importation Scheme for the New Airport and Related Projects and Supplementary Labour Scheme (SLS). As the General Labour Importation Scheme and the Special Labour Importation Scheme for the New Airport and Related Projects have been shelved in 1995 and 1999 respectively, the figures from 1999 onward are the number of imported workers under SLS only.)
