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APAC Edition
3rd April 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
Talent shortage crisis looms in Taiwan
Taiwan's talent shortages continue to escalate, with the National Development Council forecasting a 480,000 workforce gap by 2030. However, businesses are already experiencing the pressure. The latest survey from Robert Walters reveals that 52% of companies in Taiwan plan to expand hiring in 2025 while 71% of employers report difficulties in filling critical positions, with nearly half (49%) struggling to recruit mid-to-senior level professionals. John Winter, country manager of Robert Walters Taiwan, said: "The competition for top talent is intensifying. The most forward-thinking companies are prioritising adaptability, digital transformation, and a people-centric approach to stay ahead. As external competition increasingly drives workplace change, the key to success lies in agility, innovation, and cultivating a culture where top talent can thrive. Those who embrace this evolution will set themselves apart in the shifting landscape."
HEALTH & SAFETY
Workplace deaths rise in Singapore
In 2024, Singapore experienced an increase in workplace fatalities, rising to 40 from 36 in 2023, primarily due to vehicular incidents, suffocation, and structural failures, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The construction, transport, and marine sectors accounted for 80% of these deaths. Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said: “Safety is important, so the way to do it is to find productive ways that will not be too interventionist.” The workplace fatality rate climbed to 1.2 per 100,000 workers, up from 0.99 in 2023. MOM plans to enhance safety measures, including stricter regulations for diving permits and increased inspections in high-risk industries. Despite the rise in fatalities, major workplace injuries decreased, with a notable drop in the manufacturing sector. The ministry says it aims to improve workplace safety through targeted inspections and educational initiatives.
CORPORATE
Blocking 7-Eleven deal could hurt Japan's image, warns JIC CEO
Keisuke Yokoo, chief executive of state-backed fund Japan Investment Company, has told Reuters that Japan risks reputational damage if it blocks Alimentation Couche-Tard's $47bn bid for Seven & i Holdings. "It wouldn't be good for Japan's image", he said of the potential impact if the government were to intervene and block the bid. He added: "It's hard to see how the retail business is connected to economic security" - a reference to the Japanese government's classification last September of Seven & i as "core" to national security.
Makro makes waves in APAC retail rankings
Thailand's Makro has been recognised in TIME magazine's Asia-Pacific's Best Companies of 2025, achieving a score of 90.45 out of 100 and ranking 69th among the top 500 companies in the region. This accolade places Makro in the top five companies in Thailand and among the top three in the Retail, Wholesale & Consumer Goods sector. The rankings are based on revenue growth, employee satisfaction, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance.
TECHNOLOGY
Alibaba offers AI model for phone and laptop image and video processing
Alibaba Group Holding has launched Qwen2.5-Omni-7B, a multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of processing text, images, audio, and video on smartphones and laptops. With just 7bn parameters, the model is designed to run on mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, making advanced AI capabilities more accessible to everyday users. The model can handle various types of inputs and generate real-time responses as text or audio. Alibaba made the model open-source and it is available on Hugging Face, Microsoft’s GitHub, and Alibaba’s ModelScope. The model's versatility underscores the growing demand for AI systems that go beyond text generation.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Gen Z struggles with phone calls
International audit, accounting and consulting partnership Forvis Mazars is launching a training programme aimed at improving the telephone communication skills of its Gen Z employees, who are reportedly anxious about phone conversations. UK chief executive James Gilbey said: "We've committed to a major firm-wide investment to put relationship skills front and centre." The initiative responds to concerns that remote work and digital communication have left many young hires unprepared for essential workplace interactions.
INTERNATIONAL
Thousands of jobs at risk as Chinese-owned British Steel threatens closure
British Steel is launching a consultation that could see the closure of its two blast furnaces at Scunthorpe, putting up to 2,700 jobs at risk out of a workforce of 3,500. The company said the blast furnaces were "no longer financially sustainable" due to tough market conditions, the imposition of tariffs and higher environmental costs. The BBC understands British Steel was expecting a £1bn injection of government money to keep the business going, but was offered £500m. The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said the government had made a "generous offer" to British Steel and it would continue to work with the company and its Chinese owner Jingye to secure its future. British Steel chief executive Zengwei An said the consultations on the closure were "a necessary decision given the hugely challenging circumstances the business faces." British Steel has been owned by Jingye since 2020. 
Trump cuts programmes that fight child labour abroad
President Donald Trump's administration is ending US-backed programmes that combat child labour, forced labour and other abuses in dozens of countries around the world. The cuts are expected to end 69 programmes that have allocated more than $500m to fight child labour, forced labour and human trafficking, and to enforce labour standards in more than 40 countries. John Clark, a Trump-appointed official, justified the cuts by citing a “lack of alignment with agency priorities and national interest.” Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the US Department of Labor’s bureau of international labor affairs (ILAB), said that the administration wants to prioritise “investments in the American workforce.”
UAE-made AI-powered robot can pick strawberries
The Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has developed a strawberry-picking robot that operates continuously, outperforming human workers who are limited to eight-hour shifts. Professor Dezhen Song highlighted the robot's advanced capabilities, saying: “The camera senses where [the fruit] is and allows the robot to figure out how to grasp it.” The robot's adaptive grasping mechanism ensures it can pick strawberries without damage, optimising yield and reducing waste. As the global agricultural sector faces rising labour costs and shortages, this robotic solution could significantly enhance efficiency and sustainability. MBZUAI is exploring commercialisation opportunities, with strong interest among farmers, hopefully indicating a promising future for agricultural robotics.
OTHER
Cigarette sales in Australia plummet amid illegal trade
Small business owners in Australia are grappling with a significant decline in cigarette sales, attributed to the rising costs of legal tobacco and the surge in illegal alternatives. Jake Connell, a service station manager, reported a 50% drop in sales, saying: "Through the years, we've noticed less sales over time". The federal government anticipates a loss of A$6.9bn from the budget due to the illegal cigarette trade by 2029. Local retailers, including independent supermarket owner Sumeet Cheema, are feeling the pinch, with Cheema noting that the illegal tobacco trade is the biggest challenge his business faces. In response, the South Australian government has introduced new laws aimed at combating the illicit tobacco market, which includes stricter enforcement and increased penalties. Colin Shearing, chief executive of SA Independent Retailers, emphasised the need for government action, adding: "Federal and state governments need to get across this issue and put some resourcing behind it".
 


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