Singapore – Labour policies unattractive to businesses

According to a new survey by Bloomberg, Singapore has emerged as the eighth best country in the world for business in 2013. But its regional rival, Hong Kong, has maintained its top ranking for the second year, while the United States and Japan came in second and third place.

The survey looked at over...

Australia – Bluestone Reports Healthy Cash Flow

Australia-based staffing company Bluestone Global announced on Wednesday that cash receipts in the three months to December 2012 rose to AU$92.6 million (approximately USD 97 million) from AU$90.0 million (approximately USD 94 million) a year ago, an increase of +3% .

Cash receipts represent total cash...

Fiji – Staffing Market Adopts Regulation, Says Ciett

Fiji has adopted an important convention in January to help regulate the staffing market. The republic in the South Pacific adopted the ILO convention 181 on 21 January, the international confederation of private employment agencies, Ciett, announced on Tuesday.

This is the third ratification in recent...

China – Monster Sold Off Subsidiary in Trouble

Local media reports that employees at recruitment site ChinaHR have gone on strike last night over proposed mass lay-offs. The firm has allegedly been sold off by Monster Worldwide to an Ireland-based company for $30 million although this has not yet been confirmed.

ChinaHR is to lay off over half of...

Japan – Employers Want Language Skills, Finds Hays

Demand for language skills remains strong across the Japanese employment sector, according to a new survey by Hays. This found that businesses are keen to hire Japanese people with good English skills while English speakers who are well-versed in Japanese are also welcomed with open arms.

The recruiter...

South Africa – Union Demands Ban of “Slavery” Labour Broking

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the largest trade union federation in the country, condemned the use of staffing services, known more commonly in South Africa as labour broking. On Monday, the federation criticised this type of employment as “slavery.”

The union was behind mass...

Singapore – 2012 Job Vacancies Rise +4.4% amid Tight Labour Market

Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower released the latest statistics on the country’s job market this week, which found that job vacancies rose by +4.4% over the year to 56,400 in September 2012 “amid a tight labour market.”

Service & sales workers were the most sought after and made up 24% of...

World – Australia Youth Unemployment Consistently Low

According to a new report published today by The Work Foundation, youth unemployment has been consistently low in Australia. The report found that youth unemployment in Australia has fared well over the past decade, maintaining a relatively stable joblessness rate.

But it warned that Australia was facing...

Around the Web – Malaysia minimum wage increase to benefit foreign workers

Malaysia recently changed its minimum wage policy to raise pay levels, something which should also benefit workers from other South Asian countries, according to an article on mysinchew.com. Malaysia has become a popular destination for foreign workers, particularly from Nepal which is set to profit...

China – Monster Rumoured To Have Sold ChinaHR

After New-York based job board Monster Worldwide last year announced plans to sell ChinaHR, a recruitment site the firm bought in 2008 for US$174 million, it is now rumoured the sale has been completed.

Local press reports suggest Monster sold ChinaHR for just $30 million, according to sources. The firm...