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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.
Striking Hollywood writers picket outside Paramount Studios in 2023. Photo: AFP
American cinema

How far has Hollywood fallen? Entry-level screenwriter jobs dry up

‘It shouldn’t be this hard’ for rookie screenwriters to get work in Hollywood, where effects of pandemic, actor and writer strikes linger.

India

Indian woman’s ‘extremely creepy’ online job hunt sparks cyber abuse concerns

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong congee chain ‘irresponsible’ for asking government to pay workers

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Japan

Survey finds 45% of Japan’s workers are ‘quiet quitting’, defying grind culture

The poll found most who identified as quiet quitters were satisfied with doing just enough at work – and intend to continue.

According to the results of a new survey, 45 per cent of Japan’s full-time workforce is engaging in “quiet quitting” – doing just enough to get by without striving for promotions or recognition. Photo: Shutterstock
China economy

Opinion | China knows how to produce. The next test is whether it can consume

After a decade of boosting productivity, China’s Politburo has sent its clearest signal yet that it is focusing on consumption.

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Japan

Baker tops list of dream jobs for Japanese 6-year-olds but YouTuber rising fast

Survey shows girls still drawn to sweets and stardom, while boys look to badges, baseball and, increasingly, content creation.

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China airliners

Joy Air’s joyless pilots forced to deliver food as Chinese airline faces crisis

Aviators have taken up work in the gig economy to make ends meet, as regional firm plunges into debt amid intense competition.

Joy Air has suffered a series of crises in recent years, including labour and pay disputes.
China education

Adapt or perish: the humanities fight to survive China’s hi-tech rise

As Chinese universities slash arts and social science enrolments, analysts argue the fields are evolving and warn against utilitarianism.

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US-China relations

Opinion | US tariffs a wake-up call for China to improve labour standards

If China’s export competitiveness remains reliant on lowering its labour standards, the US and others will continue their trade-restrictive policies.

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US-China trade war

US jobs growth likely slowed in April, economists’ survey shows

Non-farm payroll growth probably slowed to 138,000 last month, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists.

A welder at Marlin Steel Wire in West Baltimore on April 10, 2025. Photo: The Baltimore Sun/TNS
India

‘Things have gone haywire’: Indian students rethink US study plans

Analysts say universities in Europe, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as some local institutions stand to benefit.

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A student waves a sign during a University of Nevada, Las Vegas, rally to demand the university protect students regardless of immigration status on April 24. Photo: TNS
Hong Kong workers/labour rights

‘All for nothing’: Hong Kong workers complain of losing jobs to imported labour

Over the past six months, 200 restaurant employees have reported being sacked and replaced by workers who came to the city via an import scheme.

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Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Putting Hong Kong’s workers first on this Labour Day

A minimum wage rise and the end of employer rights to claw back contributions from pensions for severance and long service are taking effect.

China economy

New law to protect China’s private enterprise can spur greater growth

Firms have been at the mercy of opaque rules that have stifled innovation and development; that is now to change with greater legal clarity.

A new Chinese law promises to promote fair market competition, encourage private sector involvement in science and technology development, and protect private firms’ economic rights and interests. Pictured is Shenzhen. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China trade war

Business lobby group urges lowering of tariff ‘temperature’ to save US jobs

US-China Business Council says ‘precipitous decline’ in bilateral trade could destabilise US economy.

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Shipping containers stacked at the Port of Oakland on April 28. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
The Philippines

Philippines’ new digital nomad visa: a boost for tourism or Pogo loophole?

Strict laws should be put in place to prevent these visas from being exploited by banned offshore gaming operators, critics warn.

China’s private sector

China passes private sector law, addressing gripes of beleaguered businesses

The highly anticipated law aims to inject dynamism into China’s private sector amid a trade war with the United States.

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Hong Kong politics

Editorial | No room for iron rice bowl in Hong Kong’s civil service

Hong Kong government seeks to streamline disciplinary mechanism to counter delaying or uncooperative tactics by staff facing action.

Exterior of Central Government Offices (CGO) in Tamar. Photo: Edmond So
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | ‘Sackings’ cloud push for imported labour in Hong Kong

Reports of Hong Kong catering workers being fired to make way for foreign staff need to be investigated and acted on.

Hong Kong politics

Opinion | Amid Hong Kong’s focus on tourist numbers, have we forgotten our workers?

Marches for workers’ rights may be a thing of the past but serious issues remain, from imported labour to sexual harassment and construction safety.

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Metaverse

Facebook owner Meta lays off more than 100 employees in Reality Labs

The job cuts affected staff focused on creating VR experiences for Meta’s Quest headsets, and those working on hardware.

A person tries out a MetaQuest 3 headset at the Facebook parent’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong workers/labour rights

Call for regular review of Hong Kong labour scheme after ‘200 workers sacked’

Union says it has received a surge of complaints from sacked restaurant employees replaced by imported workers.

Hong Kong’s restaurant trade has faced staffing shortages for years. Photo: Jelly Tse
Japan

‘Have to change:’ Japanese firms reshape work culture to close gender pay gap

Japan’s finance sector is shaking up workplace gender equality, as top firms are axing clerical roles mainly held by women, aiming to close the gender pay gap.

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Semiconductors

Intel to announce plans this week to cut over 20% of staff

This would be the company’s first major restructuring under new CEO Tan Lip-Bu.

Hong Kong workers/labour rights

Hong Kong airport subcontractor charged by ICAC for allegedly exploiting workers

Subcontractor director Chan Sin-tai is accused of taking a cut from salaries of 21 workers, amounting to HK$1 million.

The ICAC headquarters building in North Point. Photo: Jelly Tse
United States

Opinion | What Trump should be making great again are the lives of Americans

Tariffs won’t shrink the inequalities in US society that result from globalisation. A better safety net, starting with healthcare, would.

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A homeless encampment in Oakland, California, on April 22, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | What Hong Kong must do to benefit from talent dislocation in the US

Instead of focusing on the quantity of talent scheme applicants, the city should prioritise quality of outcomes for arrivals.

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Tencent

Tencent offers 28,000 internships amid youth unemployment in China

With 12 million fresh graduates entering the job market this summer, Chinese Big Tech companies are ramping up their recruitment efforts.

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