Singapore’s resident employment rebounds to pre-pandemic levels
At the end of 2020, resident employment increased by 28,900, rising for the second consecutive quarter after growing 43,200 in 3Q.
Cambodia’s manufacturing and service sectors create the most jobs
A recent government press release showed that the manufacturing and service sectors created the most jobs in the country over the last decade.
Employers in Singapore urged to adopt hybrid working arrangements
Multi-ministry COVID-19 taskforce co-chair and education minister Lawrence Wong has said a total work-from-home arrangement is “not doable”.
China created 11.86 million new jobs in 2020
The human resources ministry said the country’s employment situation improved quarter by quarter in 2020, exceeding expectations.
SMEs in Vietnam to benefit from broader access to soft loans
A strong, effective and sustainable lending mechanism is important to remove credit barriers facing SMEs.
Majority of employees in Taiwan generally satisfied with jobs
A survey by the Ministry of Labour (MOL) found that 71.2% of workers were generally satisfied with their jobs, with 3.7% being dissatisfied.
Malaysia: Reskilling workers better strategy than wage subsidies
The government’s strategy to mitigate the effects of the pandemic should be to upskill or reskill workers instead of continuing to pay wage subsidies.
Pandemic causes South Korea’s wage disparity to widen
The Korea Employment Information Service (Keis) said South Korea’s income gap increased by 4% year-on-year in 2020 due to the fallout from COVID-19.
Malaysian MPs: Provide 6 months’ automatic loan moratorium
Twenty-five MPs have appealed to the government to implement six months of automatic loan moratorium to save jobs.
Indonesia calls for increased digitalisation for economic recovery
To overcome the fallout from the pandemic, Indonesia has urged fellow ASEAN member countries to accelerate digitalisation.
China mulls harsher penalties for workplace safety breaches
Lawmakers are proposing heavier disciplinary measures on workplaces which violate workplace safety in an effort to enhance risk management.
Japanese politician proposes 4-day work week
Member of the Japan House of Councillors Kuniko Inoguchi is backing a bill that would give workers a four-day work week.
Hong Kong government plans to increase number of statutory holidays
Labour minister Law Chi-Kwong said the proposal to gradually increase the number of statutory holidays from 12 to 17 by 2030 is “most acceptable”.
Malaysia steps up delivery of Permai package
The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has committed to the quick implementation of the Permai financial package.
Trade bodies in Singapore support fair hiring and employment practices
Twenty-nine organisations from the Trade Associations & Chambers (TACs) have pledged their support for fair hiring and employment practices.
India proposes WFH for manufacturing industry
The government is considering whether some activity under the manufacturing sector should also have the flexibility to work from home (WFH).
Thailand’s Labour Ministry compiles job openings amid fresh outbreak
To help workers laid off due to the recent resurgence of COVID-19, the Labour Ministry has compiled a list of 58,151 job openings.
Singapore’s employment outlook remains cloudy even as economy mends
Though the overall unemployment rate is falling, hiring is not likely to surge in the short term.
India to launch seed fund for tech startups
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government will initiate a seed fund for startups of Rs10 billion (US$136.3 million).
Flexi work arrangements can improve employees’ mental health
In Singapore, as more employees head back to the office, giving them more flexibility over work arrangements can boost their mental well-being.
Working-age population projected to shrink in Japan and South Korea
An OECD report has calculated that by 2050, Japan’s working-age population would have declined to 61.8%.
Thailand to roll out US$7 billion stimulus package
Finance minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith has proposed for 210 billion baht (US$7 billion) to be given as cash handouts to individuals and companies.
Singapore seeks to raise wages of bottom-rung workers
Senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the country needs to raise the salaries of workers at the bottom of the ladder.
Taiwan’s employment rose for sixth consecutive month
Employment figures in the industrial and service sectors increased for the sixth consecutive month in November.
Japan’s education ministry posts job openings at schools for pandemic-hit workers
Corporate workers can now search for jobs at schools in a new section of the education ministry’s website.
Some Malaysian employers cover up status of staff infected by COVID-19
Fearing that their businesses will not be able to operate at full capacity, some employers remained silent about staff testing positive for the virus.
Jobs available for Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand
The National Employment Agency (NEA) is preparing 20,000 jobs in the kingdom for migrant workers returning from Thailand.
South Korea launches third round of emergency cash reliefs
The finance ministry plans to hand out 4.1 trillion won (US$3.7 billion) in emergency cash to people affected by the third wave of the coronavirus.
Hong Kong incentivises companies to employ local graduates
Hong Kong’s government is offering companies a grant of HK$10,000 (US$1,290) for each recent college graduate they employ.
Singapore enterprises received US$13.2 billion worth of loans in 2020
Enterprise Singapore (ESG) aided businesses by loaning S$17.4 billion (US$13.2 billion) last year, as many companies struggled because of the pandemic.