Brazil – 1.3 million new jobs added in 2012

Brazil, the sixth-largest economy in the world, created 1.3 million formal payroll jobs in 2012, the fewest number of new jobs since 2003. The country saw a slowdown across the mining and manufacturing businesses which impacted hiring levels in the year.

This is according to new data by the labour ministry...

China – Apple Finds Child Workers, Recruiter Forged Documents

Technology giant Apple has found cases of child labour in its supply chain with a local recruitment company knowingly providing dozens of children to the Chinese circuit board manufacturer PZ, which was used by the firm. Apple has now terminated the contract with PZ.

The makers of the iPhone and iPad...

India – India no “typical” emerging market, says ManpowerGroup

India’s young and English-speaking workforce may have an advantage over China in today’s job market, according to Manpower Group President of Global Corporate and Government Affairs, David Arkless.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India, he said: “India is not a typical emerging market economy....

Singapore – Staffing industry grows

The number of licensed staffing firms in Singapore has more than doubled in the past two years, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s directory on private employment agencies in the country.

The staffing market in Singapore, similar to other Asian countries, has a strong focus on the recruitment of...

Australia – Employers use “try before buy” strategy with temporary workers

Both employers and candidates are using temporary assignments to suss each other out, according to the latest Hays Quarterly Report. This also found a “notable” increase of temporary workers in the construction industry.

 “Where employers cannot appoint permanently, they are increasingly looking...

China – Top 30 employers of the year

One of China’s major recruitment sites, Zhaopin.com , announced the ‘Top 30 Employers of the Year’ list today with multinationals ranking high at the top. Among the top firms are Shanghai Volkswagen, Tencent, BMW China, China Merchants Bank, Pfizer China, China Southern Airlines, Bosch China and...

China – 12.7 million new jobs despite tight labour market

Government statistics showed on Friday that China created 12.7 million new jobs in urban areas during 2012, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. But analysts remain sceptical as employment data varies and is considered unreliable.

News agency Reuters reports that China's urban...

Around the Web – Pasona targets graduates

Japan’s third-largest staffing company, Pasona Group, has launched a new service this month aimed at hiring recent Japanese graduates who have studied in the US  on behalf of domestic companies. Language and intercultural skills are seen as key in the Japanese labour market, The Japan Times writes....

Hong Kong – ManpowerGroup acquires legal recruiter

ManpowerGroup has acquired an Asian executive search firm, Legal Futures, for an undisclosed sum to broaden its business division, the firm reported on Thursday. Legal Futures is a boutique recruiter and has offices in Hong Kong and Japan.

The company will become part of ManpowerGroup’s professional...

Brazil – Agile-1 appoints new country manager

International workforce management solutions provider Agile-1 has appointed Rosa Carvalho as country manager for Brazil. Located in the Sao Paulo office, Ms Carvalho will be responsible for managing operations and business development for the firm across Central and South America.

She has over 20 years’...