Despite maintaining credit risk levels comparable to or even better than the general public, gig workers in Hong Kong continue to face significant barriers when seeking loans. A 2026 TransUnion study reveals that while 32% of these workers have applied for credit recently—and another 37% intend to do so soon—half of them report persistent difficulties. Primary obstacles include unfavorable interest rates, overly complex application processes, and a lack of traditional documentation like standard pay slips to verify their fluctuating income.
The data suggests that the perception of gig workers as high-risk borrowers is largely unfounded. According to the survey, 95% of gig workers fall into the “prime and above” credit tiers, which actually exceeds the 90% average for the general credit-active population. Additionally, 82% of these workers manage their payment obligations without trouble, a slightly higher success rate than the 80% seen across the broader market. This indicates that their repayment behavior is consistent with traditional employees.
Currently, gig workers represent about 13% of Hong Kong’s total workforce, with nearly 90% using gig work to supplement a full-time salary. TransUnion’s Weihan Sun notes that the credit industry has a major opportunity to modernize how it evaluates this segment. By shifting focus from employment type to individual financial characteristics and refining how non-traditional income is assessed, lenders could broaden credit inclusion for this growing and reliable group of borrowers.
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