Advertisement
Advertisement
-
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.
People relax on beach chairs along the boardwalk during sunset at Marina Bay in Singapore on February 9. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore set for US$12 billion surplus as Wong unveils AI ambitions in budget

PM Lawrence Wong says while defence spending will be kept at about 3 per cent of GDP, Singapore is prepared to spend more if the need arises.

Hong Kong politics

Opinion | Hong Kong’s civil service won’t benefit from a universal retirement age hike

Artificial intelligence

Hong Kong executives trail employees in AI adoption: McKinsey

Artificial intelligence

Dopamine over babies: Asia’s births crisis worsens in the age of AI

AI is putting pressure on Asian workers to upgrade their skills, while the technology also provides ‘cheap fun’ diversions.

A health worker checks on newborn babies at a hospital in Chennai, India. Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong enterprise for needy unable to set up new shop after government error

Tender exercise cancelled after erroneous power supply details sent to bidders by Housing Authority, leaving Agape Garden in limbo.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s minimum wage set to rise by HK$1 per hour to HK$43.10

Exco backs Minimum Wage Commission’s suggested 2.38 per cent increase.

10
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
South Korea

Seoul tightens migrant language screening over safety concerns

A rise in worksite accidents involving poor comprehension of safety instructions is driving the shift as South Korea increasingly relies on foreign labour.

Foreign workers plant potatoes at a farm in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, in March 2024. Photo: Korea Times
Hong Kong economy

Letters | Tax companies that deploy AI, save Hong Kong graduates

Readers discuss the urgency of maintaining entry-level jobs, treating agentic AI like it is the Monkey King, and public transport safety.

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.

37
China jobs

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

China’s central government unveils plans for policy to reduce industrial labour pains caused by widespread use of artificial intelligence.

videocam
Employees work on a Neolix X3 vehicle production line at a factory of Chinese autonomous delivery vehicle maker Neolix in Yancheng, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
South Korea

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

Bus driver licenses for people in their 20s and 30s rose 43 per cent in three years, driven by better pay, job security, and changing attitudes.

A bus driver walks between parked buses at the Yangcheon Public Garage in Seoul. Photo: The Korea Times
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.

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.

Hyundai Motors plant in Ulsan, South Korea. Photo: Handout
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

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.

A semiconductor chip with “Made in Malaysia” on it. Electrical and electronics now account for 40 per cent of Malaysia’s exports. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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.

Singapore’s vibrant and rich cafe culture has made it one of the world’s most liveable cities for tech workers. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement