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TOPIC

Jobs

Jobs
News about job creation, job losses, labour disputes, wage trends and other developments from around the world with a focus on Hong Kong and China.
Hong Kong graduates are facing the gloomiest job market in the city since 2021. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | 55% plunge in new hires as Hong Kong graduates face gloomiest outlook in 5 years

Average monthly salary of new hires has risen only marginally by 0.5 per cent year on year to HK$20,961 in 2025, according to online job portal.

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China jobs

With AI in the driving seat, China moves to rein in job displacement risks

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South Korea

Why South Korea’s Gen Z steer towards bus driving as job market shifts

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong workers lag regional peers in AI use, lose out on pay, security: PwC

PricewaterhouseCoopers survey finds half of Hong Kong workers use gen AI infrequently at work compared with 34 per cent for Asia-Pacific region.

The survey showed that only 19 per cent of local respondents attributed a salary increase to AI in the last 12 months, far below Asia-Pacific’s 46 per cent. Photo: Eugene Lee
United States

Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs amid AI shift, post-pandemic restructuring

The restructuring and cost-cutting come despite soaring profits and strategic hiring in key areas.

South Korea

‘Poisoned chalice’: Seoul’s ‘metropolitan visa’ for foreign labour faces backlash

Debate grows whether the visa helps rival China’s dominance or is a dangerous fix for wage-driven shortages in the shipbuilding sector.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong must tackle the challenges of a super-aged society head on

With both Hong Kong and mainland China unlikely to be able to reverse the decline in birth rates, investing effectively in human capital is crucial.

A woman wheels a child in a pram in Tsim Sha Tsui on January 13. Photo: Jelly Tse
Artificial intelligence

China-founded Shanda’s AI lab boosts Singapore operation, pulling China research

MiroMind asks some staff in Shanghai to relocate and continue their AI research work in Singapore, sources say.

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why so many states reject bloc rivalry to choose partnership with China

It’s a calculated choice to keep growth, infrastructure momentum and policy space alive in a world that punishes the economically exposed.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s expat salary rules dubbed ‘ridiculous’, stoking talent drain fears

The pay threshold for expatriate visas will be doubled to boost local hiring, sparking concern over reduced foreign talent and rising costs.

Kuala Lumpur’s skyline. Malaysia will double the minimum pay threshold for expatriate visas in June. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

58% more applicants per job in Hong Kong in 2025 amid AI takeover of roles

Jobsdb Hong Kong says competition even keener for frontline roles, but some jobs hit by AI, with technology automating many repetitive processes.

Hong Kong residents at a job fair organised last month by the Labour Department at Lohas Park Community Hall in Tsueng Kwan O. Photo: Elson Li
Malaysia

How a crop of young farmers is reshaping agriculture in Southeast Asia

Young people across Southeast Asia are using city spaces and new technologies to improve on traditional farming methods to grow produce.

Asean

Asian Angle | To win the future, Southeast Asia must rewrite its industrial rule book

Success relies on five key pillars, including deeper regional coordination and targeted industrial upgrading.

India

Gig workers’ strike in India spurs debate on human cost of delivery race

More than 200,000 gig workers recently staged protests across major Indian cities, prompting concerns about the necessity of quick commerce.

More than 200,000 gig workers staged protests across major Indian cities on New Year’s Eve to demand for legislative protection, social security benefits and better wages. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images
Singapore

Singapore steps up migrant worker reforms amid calls for deeper change

The government has rolled out a slew of new initiatives, such as improved safety and living conditions and better healthcare access.

Migrant workers in the back of an open lorry in Singapore on December 6, 2025. Photo: Kyodo
United States

US job growth slows amid AI and tariffs, Fed likely to hold rates steady

Structural shifts from AI and trade policies limit hiring to 50,000 in December, reinforcing bets that the central bank will hold rates steady.

Technology

Singapore, Beijing land in top 10 of Savills’ Matcha Index of global tech cities

Even with its premium-priced matcha drinks, Singapore ranks among the world’s most ‘liveable’ cities for tech workers.

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Japan

Canning old ways: how Japan is rethinking foreign labour

Tawara Canning has managed to maintain its workforce by offering foreigners places to stay and a chance to integrate with the community.

Vietnamese technical intern trainees work alongside Japanese employees at Tawara Canning in Choshi, Chiba prefecture. Photo: Kyodo
China jobs

What are China’s hottest jobs as AI reshapes the labour market?

The structural shift in China’s labour market will make digital skills mandatory as new opportunities emerge and traditional work tapers off.

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Human rights

Ageing Asia needs domestic helpers, but can it keep them safe?

While the region cries out for care, top source nations the Philippines and Indonesia have tightened controls to curb exploitation and abuse.

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United States

Trump’s US$100,000 H-1B visa fee upheld by judge, as lottery system ends

The US awards 85,000 H-1B visas annually via lottery, with Indian nationals accounting for nearly three-quarters of recipients.

US President Donald Trump displays an executive order creating the “Trump Gold Card” and introducing a fee of US$100,000 for H-1B visas in the Oval Office in September. Photo: TNS
Singapore

Singapore’s young graduates feel the heat in ‘draining’ job hunt

A dearth of entry-level jobs has forced some young Singaporeans to pivot to stopgap roles and entrepreneurship.

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The central business district in Singapore. Official data showed the unemployment rate of residents aged below 30 was 5.5 per cent in September. Photo: Reuters
North Korea

How North Koreans use ‘laptop farms’ in US to land tech jobs abroad

Amazon said it has blocked more than 1,800 North Korean workers from remote IT jobs, citing a rise in applications.

Japan

Mind your language: Japan considers new fluency bar for permanent residents

While some say Japanese knowledge is a fair demand, others worry it will introduce ‘roadblocks’ at a time when the country needs more workers.

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South Korea

Vietnamese influx surges as South Korea’s foreign population hits record high

The Vietnamese population in South Korea jumped by 15.5 per cent last year, the fastest growing among major ethnic groups.

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People of different nationalities flock to Myeongdong shopping street in Seoul. Photo: Shutterstock
China economy

Opinion | Protection of vulnerable workers must be part of China’s AI strategy

Unemployment and underemployment are a double whammy that the Chinese leadership cannot ignore.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
India

India overhauls controversial rural jobs scheme despite opposition walkout

The scheme increases guaranteed workdays but shifts funding to states, as opposition cries foul over the changes.

China jobs

China’s youth-unemployment rate eases to 16.9% as graduates settle for less

Job market remains plagued by a mismatch between skills and vacancies, pushing more graduates towards blue-collar jobs or gig work.

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