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Jobs

Jobs
News about job creation, job losses, labour disputes, wage trends and other developments from around the world with a focus on Hong Kong and China.
Starting at the bottom of the employment ladder was never only a job. It was how people learned essential skills for climbing the ladder but now it is being taken away. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong economy

Letters | How to learn crucial skills for future success as graduate jobs tank

Readers discuss the career skills that were once learned at entry level, and employment support measures for those with disabilities.

Asean

AI threatens nearly a quarter of Southeast Asia’s workforce but not all is lost

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India

Opinion | China found the word India’s ‘cockroach’ protests missed

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Hong Kong society

72% of Hong Kong professionals regularly use AI, double global average: survey

But HKUST study also finds that junior employees harbour deeper anxiety over job security amid AI’s growing adoption.

About 72.7 per cent of respondents said they used AI tools at work on a daily or weekly basis, compared with a global average of 31 per cent cited in a 2025 KPMG study. Photo: Sam Tsang
Vietnam

Vietnam pays the price at home for sending workers abroad

Between 130,000 and 150,000 Vietnamese go abroad to work annually, leaving seafood and garment sectors scrabbling for labourers.

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Hong Kong politics

5-year plan to create more jobs, help young people with housing: John Lee

City leader says government is paying close attention to youth employment, while Northern Metropolis presents opportunity for bigger homes.

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China jobs

In Focus | Why foreign workers are still climbing mountains of paperwork for a job in China

Beijing’s rigid visa points system and strict sponsorship rules frustrate young expats, but most are still undeterred in their job search.

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Illustration: Kaliz Lee
United States

US unexpectedly loses jobs in July, in blow to Trump’s economy claims

This reflects potential weakness in the labour market of the world’s largest economy after months of steady growth.

Japan

Japan proposes tougher income rules for permanent residency

Applicants have to maintain annual household income above the average for Japanese households under the new rules.

Hong Kong society

Opinion | How East Asia’s internet cafes became a cheap urban refuge

An informal safety net, these cafes offer gig workers and those between jobs crucial breathing space.

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A customer at an internet cafe in Seoul, South Korea in December 2013. For years, internet cafes appeared destined for extinction. Instead, the industry reinvented itself. Photo: AP
South Korea

South Korean graduates look to Japan to beat job shortage at home

Last year, 2,257 young South Koreans took jobs in Japan, marking a 47 per cent jump from 2024 and making Japan their top work destination.

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South Korean jobseekers take part in a group interview with representatives of a Japanese company during a job fair in Seoul on July 12. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Filipino housekeepers mop up growing demand across Japan

Japan’s housekeeping services market has been expanding as the number of dual-income households increases.

China jobs

Stronger social security? Gig workers push back on proposed law

With China’s flexible workforce estimated at nearly 300 million, Beijing pledges to strengthen their safety, wages and basic social security.

Banking & finance

Finance firms set to pour more into AI amid ‘data divide’ fears

A majority of surveyed asset managers said they would raise their AI budgets next year, affecting data management and workforce dynamics.

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A majority of surveyed global asset managers said they planned to raise their AI budgets by at least 50 per cent, according to a study by US fintech firm Clearwater Analytics. Photo: Shutterstock
Technology

Opinion | In an era defined by AI, can work still be measured by the clock?

From Seoul to Taipei, Tokyo to Beijing, Asia is running a 21st century economy on a labour contract designed for the 20th century.

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Students majoring in semiconductor engineering demonstrate an aligner at Korea University in Seoul on June 11. South Korea, aims to supercharge its chip industry. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

South Korea rethinks Yellow Envelope Act as labour union demands mount

Without clearer boundaries, the revised act could fuel labour disputes and create uncertainty for businesses and the economy, critics warn.

China society

Opinion | Why China’s low-cost business model resists reform

Even as the model outlives its usefulness, built-in incentives continue to stifle efforts to protect the rights and interests of workers.

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China jobs

China’s youth jobless rate edges down in June for third consecutive month

The jobless rate for 16- to 24-year-olds fell for the third month, though China’s broader labour market faces headwinds.

A job fair in Chongqing. Photo: AFP/File photo
China's population

China’s state agencies are hiring retirees as the workforce rapidly ages

Universities, hospitals and government departments are actively recruiting retired former workers to cope with rapid demographic changes.

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US-China relations

US to toughen up visa regulations for Chinese journalists, foreign students

Trump administration claims changes will combat visa fraud and strengthen national security, but legal experts condemn new proposals.

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Japan

Video | Japanese company revs up Gen Z machismo with quirky antics

Business development firm Global Partners starts each workday with shouted mantras and motivational pep talks.

How one Japanese company is attracting unmotivated Gen Z workers
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Robotics

Letters | Automation must be designed with the human worker in mind

Readers discuss the importance of human dignity as robots upend industry, and the negative online reactions to a viral video of an expressive schoolchild.

A worker supervises the training of a humanoid robot in Qingdao, Shandong province, on April 22. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong proposes job-related injury compensation for gig delivery workers

Proposals will only cover those in food and goods delivery services, as these two sectors employ most gig workers, bureau says.

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Education in Hong Kong

AI and economy fuel stress for 40% of DSE candidates: Hong Kong youth group poll

Nearly half of students also unaware of universities of applied sciences as group urges government to boost awareness of vocational paths.

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Why Chinese youth aren’t booing AI, unlike American graduates

Giving young people a chance to help build the future with AI is more effective than a narrative in which they are its inevitable victims.

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Students walk about the UCLA campus in Westwood, California, on June 19. Photo: TNS
Science

Why China’s technical schools offer both hope and despair for jobless college grads

Young Chinese ‘return to the furnace’ for practical skills but Chinese media reports some students are disappointed by education on offer.

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As more Chinese university graduates turn to vocational schools to improve their job prospects, some say their experience has not provided a straight path to a desired job. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
China jobs

AI skills required for 4 out of 10 graduate jobs in China: recruitment portal

University of Hong Kong professors say ‘messy jobs’ that span multiple tasks more immune to challenges posed by technology.

Hong Kong economy

Employee training hours in Hong Kong hit 14-year high amid AI push: survey

Average training hours per staff member reached 19.4 in 2025, with firms prioritising AI and soft skills.

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