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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.
A United States Postal Service worker pushes a mail cart in Miami, Florida in 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
United States

US job growth slows sharply in September, unemployment rises

Economists noted that payrolls tend to underperform when the Labour Day holiday falls late ‌in the month, as was the case this year.

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The Philippines

Philippines’ jeepney drivers on the brink as rising costs outpace relief

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United States

US jobless claims fall to lowest since mid-July

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Malaysia

High ‘no-show’ rate of doctors posted to East Malaysia raises alarm

The Malaysian Medical Association is calling for allowances and incentives to attract and retain healthcare workers in the Bornean states.

Doctors protest against poor working conditions outside the Sungai Buloh Hospital in Malaysia during the Covid-19 outbreak on July 26, 2021. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Raising Hong Kong’s birth rate is an economic imperative

Economies competing in an AI-driven future will need more highly skilled workers, not fewer. Low fertility is not only a social challenge – it’s an economic threat.

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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong wage index rises 3.4% in June, with government expecting further gains

Adjusting for inflation, the overall real wage rate grew by 1.6 per cent year on year, keeping basic pay growth ahead of rising living costs.

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Hong Kong economy

Letters | As youth lose jobs to AI, Hong Kong must act

Readers discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on Hong Kong’s labour market, and preventing teen suicides.

Jobseekers attend the “New Horizons Job Fair” organised by the Labour Department at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok on March 12. Photo: Karma Lo
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | More work is needed to plug Hong Kong’s labour gap

Problems including workforce ageing and job mismatch demand a more precise, well-crafted government response.

Artificial intelligence

China overtakes US as top workplace for elite AI researchers, study finds

The country is retaining a growing share of top-tier talent amid a booming domestic AI industry and tighter US visa restrictions.

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Singapore

Singapore’s entry-level job market shrinks despite salary growth, data shows

Aon data published last month shows a 3.2 per cent drop in entry-level headcount in the city state, amid a rise in AI use in the workplace.

People walk out during lunch time at the financial business district of Raffles Place in Singapore on September 9. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong workforce to shrink by 20,000 yearly as key sectors face shortages

Predicted 2028 shortfall will narrow to 130,000, but key sectors such as aviation, tech, healthcare and construction still face crunch.

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Workers in Central navigate a busy street during the lunchtime rush. The report projects that Hong Kong’s workforce will decline from 3.47 million in 2025 to 3.4 million in 2028. Photo: Karma Lo
Singapore

Singapore retrenchment rates hit highest level since pandemic

The number of job vacancies declined in the second quarter, especially in the financial services and information and communications sectors.

International Property

Asia-Pacific firms divided on how AI will impact office space demand: survey

AI currently has a more significant impact on office operations than on real estate requirements, CBRE says.

Banking & finance

Double blow as top HSBC bankers lose education perk as job fears mount: sources

HSBC axes education benefits worth up to HK$300,000 as integration with Hang Seng Bank threatens jobs – but investors stay upbeat.

The HSBC headquarters in Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Sun Yeung
North Korea

Russia employs North Koreans to build drones for Ukraine war: report

The move shows how military ties have expanded beyond weapons and troops into labour and industrial production, the report says.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) meets scientists, researchers and officials from key national defence research institutions in Pyongyang on August 29. Photo: KCNA / Reuters
John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong’s new training visa could be available in first quarter of 2027

New visa category among spate of new talent-trawling measures unveiled in city leader John Lee’s policy address.

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China GDP

China’s worsening retail slowdown bolsters case for stimulus

Slower-than-expected retail sales growth and a deepening investment slump support the argument for government investment even as industrial output booms.

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Japan

Opinion | A tension lies at the heart of Japan’s foreign labour policy

As Japan raises fees for residence permits and tightens the requirements for permanent residency, the effect on long-term settlement warrants attention.

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Shin Okubo subway station in Tokyo on May 18, 2022. The neighbourhood is known for its large immigrant communities, including Korean, Southeast Asian and South Asian residents. Photo: SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Commodities

Bullish chorus grows: Wall Street backs gold despite US job growth, hawkish Fed

Record buying spree by central banks offsets Fed tightening fears, pushing gold towards US$5,000 by year-end, investment banks forecast.

China education

China’s youth job crisis drives graduates to German vocational apprenticeships

Facing bleak employment prospects at home, some young Chinese workers are pursuing technical training abroad, but not all make it through.

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Malaysia

‘All I want is a fair chance’: Malaysia’s deaf workers look to lead

A job offer is only the first step, deaf Malaysians say. True inclusion means equal opportunities and room to rise.

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Wong Yi Xiang, a deaf Starbucks employee, says he wants a fair chance to show his work-related skills. Photo: Ushar Daniele
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Gen Z is turning filial piety into a career path

Tough job and housing markets have graduates questioning whether the old bargain of hard work bringing progress and stability still applies.

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Students on a university campus in Hong Kong in September 2025. Gen Z is entering the workforce just as AI begins to dismantle the traditional career ladder. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Asean

Southeast Asia’s extreme heat exposes holes in safety net for outdoor workers

Many Southeast Asian cities lack adequate heat risk assessments, and have weak regulations protecting outdoor workers, a report says.

United States

US job market rebounds with 162,000 new jobs, far surpassing expectations

The latest labour data may increase the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will raise its key short-term interest rate at its next meeting.

China jobs

How China’s AI race axes jobs, forcing workers into low-paid roles

White-collar, corporate jobs could be in the firing line as artificial intelligence proves quicker at tasks requiring data-heavy tech skills.

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A woman holds an umbrella as she walks through Beijing’s Central Business District (CBD). Photo: Reuters
Japan

‘Unacceptable shift’: Japan relaxes overtime rules under workaholic Takaichi

Businesses grappling with labour shortage have called for flexible work hours but critics say the move risks a return to ‘karoshi’ culture.

A man sleeps on a bench at a railway station in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

Hong Kong’s long-term wealth hub status safe from mainland curbs: JPMorgan exec

The investment bank’s North Asia chairwoman downplays regulatory hurdles – and views the city’s rivalry with Singapore in ‘win-win’ terms.

Hong Kong economy

Visa policy brings in more foreigners on short-term jobs and HK$20,000 salaries

Latest Immigration Department data shows 31,278 working visas granted to foreigners last year under General Employment Policy.

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