Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered a review of regional minimum wage rates. Marcos directed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) to review the minimum wage rates in their respective regions. He asked the RTWPBs to consider the prevailing economic complexities such as inflation in conducting the review. RTWPB are government bodies established to regulate and set minimum wage rates across its different regions. “As president, I call on the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards to initiate a timely review of the minimum wage rates in their res ..read more

Australia’s Federal Circuit and Family Court levied penalties against the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and one of its officials for unlawful conduct at a construction site in Melbourne. The penalties are the result of legal action commenced by the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC). The CFMEU was penalised AUD 43,290 (USD 28,550) and union organiser Paul Tzimas was penalised AUD 7,990 (USD 5,268). Tzimas, and through him the CFMEU, admitted breaching two sections of the Fair Work Act which apply to permit holders, section 500 (acting in an i ..read more

Malaysian workers are prioritising flexibility and 2 in 5 are willing to resign if required to work more frequently in the office, according to research from Randstad Malaysia. This trend of being ready to quit is particularly strong among younger generations, with nearly half of Gen Z (49%) and Millennials (47%) opposed to inflexible work arrangements. Meanwhile, Randstad found that when compared to six months ago, 52% of Malaysians said that their employers expect them to be in the office more, 17% higher than the global average. It comes as 2 in 5 Malaysians said they have made life changes ..read more

Job advertisements in Australia fell by 6.6% year-on-year in April 2024 on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to ANZ-Indeed job ads data published on ANZ Bank.  ANZ-Indeed Australian Job Ads rose 2.8% month-on-month in April after falling 1.0% month-on-month in March. In trend terms, the series was up 0.7% over the month. While ANZ-Indeed Job Ads has fallen 14.3% from its peak in November 2022, the series is still 36.5% higher than pre-pandemic levels. ANZ Economist, Madeline Dunk, said, “2023’s downward trend in ANZ-Indeed Job Ads has stalled in 2024, at least for now. The series has ..read more

The average starting salary across 38 major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, stood at approximately RMB 10,300 (USD 1,427) a month in the first quarter, reports China Daily, citing research from Zhaopin. The research showed Q1’s figure was an increase of 2.2% year-on-year, but a fall of 0.9% from the previous quarter. Among the 38 cities, the starting salaries in some first-tier cities were much higher than those on offer in second-tier or third-tier cities, according to Zhaopin. Shanghai offered the highest salary for new recruits in the first qu ..read more

The majority of employers in the Asia Pacific region (80%) are currently using AI or considering it, according to the PersolKelly 2024 Workforce Insights Report. The report found that 20% of employers have no plans for AI adoption. In terms of current workplace AI usage, New Zealand leads the way with a rate of 82%, almost double the Asia Pacific average of 43%. Singapore stands at 45% while Australia is at 35% for comparison. Despite high expected spending on AI, both Australia and South Korea showed some of the lowest AI adoption rates. In Australia, AI spending is mainly concentrated in the ..read more

The global economy is continuing growing at a modest pace, according to the latest Economic Outlook from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The Economic Outlook projects steady global GDP (gross domestic product) growth of 3.1% in 2024, the same as the 3.1% in 2023, followed by a slight pick-up to 3.2% in 2025. The impact of tight monetary conditions continues being felt, particularly in housing and credit markets, but global activity is proving relatively resilient, the decline in inflation continues, and private sector confidence is improving, the Outlook noted. Head ..read more

Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered a review of regional minimum wage rates. Marcos directed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) to review the minimum wage rates in their respective regions. He asked the RTWPBs to consider the prevailing economic complexities such as inflation in conducting the review. RTWPB are government bodies established to regulate and set minimum wage rates across its different regions. “As president, I call on the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards to initiate a timely review of the minimum wage rates in their res ..read more

More than 70% of the global workforce is likely to be exposed to climate-change-related health hazards, and existing occupational safety and health (OSH) protections are struggling to keep up with the resulting risks, according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The ILO’s report, ‘Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate’, says that climate change is already having a serious impact on the safety and health of workers in all regions of the world. Estimates by the ILO showed that more than 2.4 billion workers (out of a global workforce of 3.4 billion ..read more

Japan-based engineering community Qiita Co., Ltd. has decided to discontinue its "Qiita Jobs" matching service for engineers and companies as of 31 May 2024. The company did not specify a reason for the shutdown. Qiita is a service for recording and sharing knowledge about engineers. In a message posted on its site, “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all our customers and corporate recruitment staff for your continued patronage, and we sincerely apologise for the sudden announcement ..read more