China’s manufacturers are increasingly struggling to recruit workers, as young people turn up their noses at the low wages and lack of advancement opportunities in factory work.

A special committee will meet daily from April 15 to quicken the approval process to alleviate a labour crunch that has hit the palm oil plantation sector hard.

Dozens of domestic workers who tested positive for Covid-19 have been left homeless and facing discrimination; crisis highlights need to revise rule forcing them to live in the same house as employers.

Beijing’s population of 21.89 million decreased by about 4,000 last year, while places such as Chengdu added nearly a quarter-million residents – a trend some attribute to rising costs and job uncertainties.

Tari Sasha was lured to Taiwan by the prospects of a good job, but received empty promises and discrimination instead.

Vietnamese working in Romania have been exposed to harsh conditions and human smuggling. Advocates say the EU country must fix its labour rights laws, since it now wants to take in Ukrainian refugees.

Pfizer Covid shots, sparkling clean streets and tax-free policies are among the draws. And for investors with US$2.7 million to spare, there are ‘Golden Visas’, too.

New system is the biggest ever visa change and shows that government seeks to foster local employment and industries, while addressing public concerns about international firms hiring foreigners.

Downward trend could continue this year as the pandemic endures, experts say, while broader concerns stretch to the impact of urbanisation on China’s birth rate.

Deterred by the discouraging travel policies and sporadic outbreaks of the Omicron variant, more than 70 per cent of domestic tourists chose short-distance trips.

Social media recently became enthralled by the story of a 31-year-old migrant who taught himself English, translated a philosophy book and found he could make a living without manual labour, bucking migrant stereotypes.

With more Malaysian firms accused of labour abuse, analysts warn the country’s reputation as a global production base could suffer.

The pandemic can be blamed for much of the hurt, with construction delays, homeowners returning from abroad, and an increased demand for space to work from home all reducing rental stock and pushing tenants into the market.

At least 54 people died when a freight truck crammed with as many as 200 people from Guatemala and Honduras tipped over in southern Mexico.

This week’s quirky stories from China feature a woman trying to “borrow” the local police to catch her husband cheating, except he wasn’t.

In The Chinese Question, Mae Ngai describes how migrant labourers fought for their rights. It’s an issue made newly relevant by the re-emergence of some repugnant attitudes towards Chinese people, she says.

Many parents have come to accept separation as the price they pay for working, while places like the Philippines have come to view migrant workers as heroes.