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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.
Students at the University of Hong Kong. The unemployment rate for those aged 20 to 29 stood at 6.8 per cent between February and April, compared with the overall rate of 3.7 per cent. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong economy

‘I kept crying’: Hong Kong grads struggle to find jobs as AI takes over

Graduates are applying for hundreds of positions only for dozen or so firms to show interest, as entry-level roles vanish and AI changes job market.

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Indonesia

Opinion | Indonesia’s labour movement is deeply divided over political patronage

China jobs

China’s gig economy is an employment reservoir – but is the well drying up?

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China jobs

As millions graduate, China urges SOEs, internet firms to offer more jobs

A record cohort of university graduates is entering a relatively weak Chinese job market.

A job fair in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on March 15. Photo: Xinhua
Artificial intelligence

Most Asia-Pacific firms use AI for tasks without cutting jobs: survey

About 74 per cent of companies surveyed across industries in the Asia-Pacific have deployed or piloted AI programmes.

United States

US adds 172,000 jobs in May, strongly beating expectations

Unemployment remained steady, with the labour market in the world’s largest economy sustaining recent gains.

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China jobs

China’s gaokao exam gets less competitive as more teens opt to skip university

The number of students sitting China’s university entrance exams is on the decline, as teens decide not to pursue a degree amid a graduate job crunch.

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Students walk out of an examination hall after sitting China’s national college entrance exam in the eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: Xinhua
Good Schools Guide

These Hong Kong schools are nurturing the next rugby players and solo violinists

They want to design human-centred AI, build underwater robots and direct film scores – and their schools help make these dreams come true.

Middle East

Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

In Gulf economies, lost migrant jobs and remittances risk plunging millions across Asia into crisis.

China jobs

China has a crucial edge in the global AI race: public optimism

Public attitudes towards AI are ‘strikingly positive’ in China, with only a small minority worried it will lead to fewer job openings, survey finds.

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An AI humanoid robot interacts with visitors at a business expo in China’s southern Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua
China's economic recovery

China expands migrant workers’ access to public services

SCMP Plus annotates the State Council’s 13-point guidelines for easing restrictions under the nation’s hukou household registration system.

China expands migrant workers’ access to public services
Education in Hong Kong

New pay model for native English-speaking teachers risks lowering standards: group

Head of association for teachers says shift to lower packages may lead to educators with less experience and motivation.

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Banking & finance

Standard Chartered CEO apologises for ‘lower-value human capital’ remarks

Winters expresses regret for his choice of words describing how AI would replace some workers at the lender.

United States

US jobless claims fall as lay-offs remain low despite economic uncertainty

Despite historically low lay-offs, the labour market appears to be stuck in what economists call a ‘low-hire, low-fire’ state.

Workers climb down from a building during a heat advisory on Tuesday in New York. Photo: AP
Singapore

Singapore’s AI-job cuts debate flares over ‘lower-value human capital’ remark

Economists say the challenge faced by Singapore is whether AI training can keep pace with job losses and work redesign.

Office workers at the Raffles Place financial business district. Singapore has unveiled various measures to help workers cope with AI disruption. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong workers/labour rights

Letters | Hong Kong must match worker to job. More training is not enough

Readers call for the introduction of professional career coaching, a flexible ride-hailing framework, and more creativity for local restaurants.

Japan

Japan’s restaurant sector feels bite of sudden foreign worker visa freeze

The number of foreigners holding Type I visas in the food industry has reached roughly 46,000, on course to surpass the quota of 50,000.

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Hong Kong economy

Calls grow to hire locals as graduate jobs decline amid AI, economic pressures

Industry leaders’ remarks come after minister says vacancies suitable for graduates fell from about 80,000 in 2022 to around 31,000 in 2025.

Industry leaders have called for priority hiring of local graduates to address a shrinking job market. Photo: Elson Li
Singapore

Singaporeans refute lack of hunger stereotype, warn of ‘self-fulfilling bias’

A recruiter’s comment on Singaporean workers supposedly lacking drive has sparked a fierce debate on evolving career goals and pay.

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United States

US adds 115,000 jobs in April, but experts warn of hidden weakness

The gains mainly came in the healthcare, transport and warehousing and retail trade sectors.

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Hong Kong transport

Letters | Rigid quotas will undercut Hong Kong’s ride-hailing service providers

Readers discuss the effort to regulate ride-hailing, how to best address the city’s mental health crisis, and potential problems linked to the Fanling Bypass.

The Uber app is seen opened on a mobile phone as a taxi drives past in Tsim Sha Tsui on May 16, 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse
Singapore

‘No longer nice-to-have’: AI skills boost Singapore software engineer pay by 25%

Companies are increasingly prioritising engineers who can work effectively with AI tools, especially in senior roles.

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Men work with the help of AI. Salaries of AI-savvy software engineers have shot up in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong workers/labour rights

Property management sector cites 25% guard shortage amid imported labour backlash

Scrutiny of employing imported workers comes after Richland Gardens says 31 guards from mainland China will be hired through government labour scheme.

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Singapore

Singapore PM reassures workers over AI fears, vows job opportunities

The city state cannot promise there will be no disruption from the new technology but it will protect every worker, the prime minister says.

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China jobs

Back to the factory? China to retrain 1 million jobless graduates as technicians

China aims to solve its graduate jobs crisis by sending academic students to vocational school. But many young people remain sceptical.

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Technicians train humanoid robots to perform manufacturing work at a facility in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. Photo: Getty Images
Singapore

More Singaporeans are choosing jobs below their qualifications. Here’s why

A new survey shows 19.4 per cent of Singapore’s resident workforce had academic qualifications beyond what was required for their job in 2025.

Office workers in Singapore’s Central Business District. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

Why tougher US visa rules for skilled foreign workers may end in ‘brain drain’

Trump administration is targeting several visa categories, including popular H-1B pathway, with bias towards fewer numbers and more revenue.

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China jobs

China outlines new labour protection plan for nation’s 200 million gig workers

The 12-point document pledges stronger protections for gig-economy workforce, which has rapidly grown amid China’s economic slowdown.

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