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APAC Edition
15th May 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Singapore to help workers transition to resilient occupations

Singapore plans to introduce "career bridges" to assist workers affected by artificial intelligence (AI) disruption. The Economic Strategy Review (ESR) committee's recommendations aim to provide structured pathways, including training and job-matching services, to help workers transition into more resilient occupations. The move will “proactively develop workforce transition plans before large-scale displacement happens,” the ESR secretariat said. “We could prioritise areas with more acute disruption pressures, and where there are ready industry partners and trade Associations and chambers we can work with to support the effort.” Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said Singaporeans should be prepared for career transitions to become more common. He said: “Some workers will need to move into adjacent occupations. Others may require deeper reskilling. Some PMEs may face longer periods of adjustment . . . We must strengthen support for workers in transition. Our support systems must become more integrated and more anticipatory.”
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EBOOK

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WORKFORCE

Korea's older adults are working longer and borrowing more

In South Korea, many older adults continue working past retirement age due to financial pressures. The OECD has reported that the effective age of labour market exit in Korea is 67.4 for men and 69.6 for women, significantly higher than the OECD average. Approximately 57% of Koreans aged 65 to 69 are employed, the highest rate in the OECD. However, many are in low-paying, temporary jobs and face increasing debt. The relative poverty rate for those aged 66 and older is 40%, the highest in the OECD, underscoring the urgent need for better support and job opportunities for older workers. "Jobs are the single most important factor in addressing poverty among older people," observes Chung Soon-dool, a professor at Ewha Womans University.
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STRATEGY

LinkedIn plans to lay off 5% of staff

LinkedIn has said it plans to cut about ​5% of its headcount as it reorganizes teams and focuses personnel on areas ⁠where its business is growing. Daniel Shapero, the Microsoft-owned social network's chief executive, told employees in a memo on Wednesday that the firm must deliver increased impact to users and operate more profitably. He said reductions will affect a range of job functions, including engineering, product and marketing. “As part of our regular business planning, we’ve implemented organisational changes to best position ourselves for future success,” a LinkedIn spokesperson said. The layoff rationale was ​not for AI to replace jobs at the company, a source told Reuters.

Takeda to cut about 4,500 jobs

Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical has said it plans to ​cut about 4,500 jobs in fiscal year 2026, as part of ‌a restructuring to centralise corporate functions and reduce costs. The company expects annual savings of more than ¥200bn ($1.27bn) by fiscal 2028, with about 100 billion yen ​expected in fiscal 2026. A company spokesperson said Takeda currently has about 2,200 open roles and expects to create new ​jobs during the year. Internal candidates will be prioritised, the spokesperson said.
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RISK

Xi warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to conflict

China’s Xi Jinping has warned President Donald Trump that the two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue was not handled properly. According to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump in a closed-door meeting of the leaders of the world's two largest economies that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations . . . If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.” In a brief public exchange before the meeting began, Trump told Xi: “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.” Trump said: “It’s an honor to be your friend,” before promising that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”
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HIRING

ATO to hire 1,500 new staff

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) plans to hire 1,500 new staff to enhance fraud detection and compliance efforts. This increase will raise the workforce from 19,938 to 21,410 in the next financial year. The ATO's budget will rise to A$16.9bn in 2026/27, reaching A$18.85bn the following year. The regulator will also invest in technology, including AI, to improve fraud prevention and reduce errors in tax returns.
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ECONOMY

Consumer confidence in Thailand hits new low

Thailand's consumer confidence index fell to 50.6 in April, down from 51.8 the previous month, marking the lowest level in eight months. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) attributed the decline to high energy prices and low agricultural product prices. Confidence in the economy, jobs, and future income also decreased. Thanavath Phonvichai, president of the UTCC, noted that while tourism is improving, investments and consumption are slowing. The ongoing economic recovery remains fragile, compounded by high living costs and geopolitical uncertainties.
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TECHNOLOGY

Amazon staff use AI tool for unnecessary tasks to inflate usage scores

Amazon employees are using an internal AI tool called “MeshClaw” to automate non-essential tasks in a bid to show managers they are using the technology more frequently.
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INTERNATIONAL

Increasing gap between young and older Americans' views of the job market

A Gallup World Poll has identified a significant decline in younger Americans' confidence about their job prospects - at a time when their elders remain more upbeat. Only 43% of US individuals aged 15-34 believe it's "a good time" to find a job, compared to 64% of those aged 55 and over. This is a stark contrast to the global trend: globally, the median share of younger people who say it's “a good time” to find work in their local job market is 48%, compared with 38% among older people. “It's an incredibly new phenomenon,” Benedict Vigers of Gallup says. He notes that last year was the first time in Gallup's decades of polling that young Americans were more pessimistic about the job market than their peers in other developed countries. “Has this happened in most other advanced economies? The answer is a resounding no,” Vigers says.

Work-seeking youngsters burned out by 'doomjobbing'

Psychotherapists have coined "doomjobbing" as a term for young graduates who are addicted to endlessly refreshing job listings. Jo Hemmings, a behavioural psychologist, observes: "Infinite-scroll job boards create a powerful dopamine loop where every new role offers a tiny hit of hope . . . Most applications go nowhere but the occasional response keeps people coming back. That unpredictability is psychologically very addictive." Consequent "emotional hypervigilance" leaves people exhausted and demoralised, she said. "Anticipation, rejection, despair, anticipation, rejection, despair. Ultimately it is a waste of time," says psychotherapist Jo Ellen Grzyb. "Even though it looks as though they're busy 'doing' something it's quite a passive position to be in."

AI agent runs Swedish café

In Stockholm, the Andon Café is testing the limits of artificial intelligence with an AI agent named "Mona" which oversee operations while human baristas serve coffee. The experimental café, which has been set up by San Francisco-based startup Andon Labs, has made more than $5,700 in sales since it opened in mid-April, but less than $5,000 remains from its original budget of more than $20,000, much of which was spent on one-time setup costs. Emrah Karakaya, an associate professor of industrial economics at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology, says putting AI in charge could cause many problems - for example, the apportioning of responsibility if a customer gets food poisoning. “If you don't have the required organisational infrastructure around it, and if you overlook these mistakes, it can cause harm to people, to society, to the environment, to business,” Karakaya cautions. “The question is, do we care about this negative impact?”

Bell fires employees it claims falsified attendance records

Bell Canada has terminated several employees for alleged violations of workplace attendance policies, claiming misconduct related to "swipe-and-go" behaviour. However, terminated workers dispute these claims, asserting they were never required to work in the office. Jean-Alexandre De Bousquet, a lawyer representing over 30 affected employees, said that many had not worked in the office even before the pandemic. Bell maintains that the terminations were justified, citing clear evidence of misconduct. Toronto employment lawyer Sundeep Gokhale says disputes over work-from-home policies are popping up in boardrooms across Canada. "It's an incredibly sensitive and high volume topic," he said.

 
CBC
 
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