Australia – Gig economy conditions and arrangements not acceptable, Senate committee finds

The current arrangements, conditions and pay rates for gig economy workers in Australia are not acceptable, a Senate Select Committee on Job Security said in an inquiry into work services platforms such as Uber and Deliveroo.

The ‘First interim report: on-demand platform work in Australia’ said arrangements,...

Australia – Contract watch: Freelancer awarded NASA contract

Australia-based Freelancer Ltd. (ASX: FLN) announced it secured a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the US.

Freelancer secured a USD 510,000 task order for the US Bureau of Reclamation to improve the Speed of the US Bureau of Reclamation’s Sedimentation and River...

Singapore – More PMETs joined programmes to upskill and switch jobs amid pandemic (Straits Times)

More Singaporeans tapped professional conversion programmes last year to learn new skills and switch careers, amid a weakened hiring market due to the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Straits Times, citing research from Workforce Singapore. Approximately 6,270 professionals, managers, executives and technicians...

Taiwan – Government to provide subsidies to underemployed and unemployed foreigners due to pandemic (Taiwan News)

Taiwan’s Ministry of Labour is providing subsidies to foreigners who are underemployed or unemployed due to the serious outbreak of Covid-19 cases in Taiwan, reports Taiwan News. Last week the Cabinet announced its "Stimulus 4.0" package to provide relief to residents who have been affected...

China – 51job revenue rises 13.2% in Q1 on back of strong growth in Other HR business

China-based job board and HR resource services provider 51job Inc. (NSDQ: JOBS) reported net revenue increased by 13.2% in the first quarter ended 31 March 2021 when compared to the same period the year prior.

The group saw a boost in revenue from the ‘Other Human Resource related’ segment.

Malaysia – Online recruitment rises 60% in May: Monster Employment Index

Online recruitment in Malaysia soared by 60% in May 2021 when compared to May 2020, according to data from the Monster Employment Index.

The Monster Employment Index (MEI) rose to 64 in May 2021 from 40 in May 2020.

Month-on-month data showed a smaller growth of 5% in online hiring.

All nine industries...

New Zealand – GDP rises 1.6% in March quarter

Gross domestic product in New Zealand rose by 1.6% in the March 2021 quarter, following a 1.0% fall in the December 2020 quarter, according to data from Statistics New Zealand (Stats NZ).

"After an easing of economic activity in the December quarter, we’ve seen broad-based growth in the first quarter...

Singapore – More migrant workers to be allowed into the country amid the pandemic (The Straits Times)

More migrant workers and foreign domestic helpers will soon be allowed to enter Singapore to work, reports The Straits Times, citing a statement from Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong. "This will ease the immense pressures our companies have been under since the start of the pandemic,"...

Australia – Over 25% of employers unable to find suitable staff

More than a quarter, or 27%, of Australian businesses are having difficulty finding suitable staff, according to survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

ABS Head of Industry Statistics, John Shepherd, said the latest Business Conditions and Sentiments Survey, conducted from 9 to 16 June 2021,...

Philippines – Employers and business groups to pledge at least 1 million new jobs (The Manila Standard)

Business groups led by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines will pledge at least a million jobs for unemployed workers to help the economy recover from the impact of the pandemic, reports The Manila Standard.  The employers group will sign the pledge for a million jobs on 30 June along...