World – Covid-19 a key factor in employees’ views on workforce mobility

The Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way talent think about their work and mobility preferences, according to a report from Seek Asia, The Network and the Boston Consulting Group.

The report, which examines how the pandemic has impacted global attitudes and preferences towards working abroad,...

Taiwan – Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate up slightly in February

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Taiwan rose by 0.03% in February 2021 to a rate of 3.73% when compared to the same period in the previous year, according to the latest manpower survey results from Directorate General Budget, Accounting and Statistics.

When compared to the previous...

Australia – Farm manager skimmed workers of hundreds of thousands through ‘sham’ labour hire companies (The Age)

A manager at an Australian farm skimmed at least AUD 300,000 (USD 231,906) from migrant workers through sham labour hire companies by arranging for farmhand staff to pack vegetables on low hourly rates, reports The Age Australia. The manager, Sarith Kit, had workers, who were either not Australian citizens...

China – 51job revenue sees uptick in 2020 as growth in Other HR offsets decline in online recruitment

China-based job board and HR resource services provider 51job Inc. (NSDQ: JOBS) reported net revenue increased by 2.4% in the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2020 when compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

The group’s growth in ‘Other Human Resource related’ revenue offset a decline in Online...

New Zealand – Seek job ads slip 2% in February

New job ads posted on the job board Seek New Zealand decreased by 2% in February 2021 when compared to February 2020.

This was the smallest year-on-year difference in the past 12 months, suggesting a sustained improvement to the national job market, according to Seek.

Seek job ads were marginally down...

India – Tech firms recruit more flexi-staff for short-term projects (LiveMint)

Flexi-staffing in India is gaining traction among technology firms as they rush to meet the growing need for people with digital skills for short-term projects, reports LiveMint. The pace has intensified during the pandemic as a rapid shift towards digitalisation and automation has brought down the average...

Vietnam – Employees prioritise well-being in the new normal (Vietnam News Summary)

Work security and well-being are the most crucial factors that Vietnamese employees, especially working parents, would like to focus on in the new normal, reports Vietnam News Summary, citing data from ManpowerGroup Vietnam. Approximately 93% of employees around the world have been affected by the pandemic,...

Australia – Seasonally adjusted jobless rate rises in February

Australia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 5.8% in February 2021, 0.8% higher than a year ago, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The number of unemployed people increased by 109,500 over the year to February 2021 to a total of 805,200. Over the month, this decreased...

Hong Kong – Unemployment rate jumps to 7.2% in February quarter

Hong Kong’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate worsened from 3.7% during the three-month period from December 2019 to February 2020 to 7.2% in the period from December 2020 to February 2021, according to the latest labour force statistics published by the Census and Statistics Department.

When compared...

Malaysia – Government launches programme to support jobs and economy (Malay Mail)

Malaysia’s government is introducing a new economic recovery programme, reports Malay Mail. The programme is called Pemerkasa (Strategic Programmes to Empower the People and Economy) and is worth MYR 20 billion (USD 4.86 billion). Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government is aiming...