https://www.scmp.com/rss/314822/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The coronavirus pandemic has forced a dramatic change in priorities for Beijing’s leaders.  Now they must grapple with falling economic growth and a rising unemployment rate that threatens social stability – the foundation of the ruling Communist Party’s legitimacy. University graduates, migrant workers and the country’s small business sector are the most at risk. China’s leadership has responded by making controlling unemployment a higher priority for the year ahead than getting the growth rate... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-has-new-top-priority-preventing-unemployment-crisis/article/3084339?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-has-new-top-priority-preventing-unemployment-crisis/article/3084339?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2020 11:31:52 +0000 Foreign workers in China have long complained about the bureaucracy and paperwork involved in getting a working visa, but that may be about to change after the authorities unveiled plans to streamline the application process. A policy document released on Sunday outlined plans for a series of pilot programs to reduce the red tape as part of a project to boost the Yangtze River Delta region, which includes major commercial cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing. The plans, rubber-stamped... https://www.scmp.com/society/china-aims-cut-work-permit-red-tape-foreigners-yangtze-river-delta/article/3040384?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/china-aims-cut-work-permit-red-tape-foreigners-yangtze-river-delta/article/3040384?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2019 09:34:36 +0000 Harminder Singh Harminder Singh Companies need to adapt to the work habits of millennials in order to fill Hong Kong’s chronic shortage of IT and fintech talent, according to the chief executive of an international recruitment agency. Half of the 150 IT-sector companies polled by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management last year were found to have talent shortages. Meanwhile, the number of technology companies coming to the city has continued to rise, mounting pressure on those firms to fill talent gaps. Figures... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2086172/rethink-needed-attract-millennials-and-fill-talent-void-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2086172/rethink-needed-attract-millennials-and-fill-talent-void-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 08:45:30 +0000 I am reluctant to give career advice to young people. I am afraid I will sound like the old guy in the film ‘The Graduate’ who tells a sceptical Dustin Hoffman that, “There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it.” But when I was asked by a group of them, I emphasised that whatever you choose to do after graduating in Hong Kong, you need to look beyond the local economy and if possible seize career and education opportunities based on changes in geopolitics and global... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2047689/one-belt-one-road-presents-golden-opportunities-hong-kong-graduates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2047689/one-belt-one-road-presents-golden-opportunities-hong-kong-graduates?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Nov 2016 06:41:17 +0000 Hong Kong workers are about to feel the pinch as companies facing the effects of the city’s economic downturn seek to rein in costs by lowering salary increases. The Hong Kong People Management Association’s annual pay trends survey projected average pay rises of 3.5 to 3.8 per cent in 2017, down from 3.9 to 4.1 per cent this year and 4.3 to 4.7 per cent in 2015. More than 95,900 employees from 84 companies across the city were questioned. Better than expected but still not great: Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2038628/waiting-big-pay-rise-better-look-mainland-or-hope-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2038628/waiting-big-pay-rise-better-look-mainland-or-hope-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2016 06:07:22 +0000 If you’re thinking of switching careers, becoming a data scientist is the way to go, according to Glassdoor. The jobs and recruiting platform revealed its annual list of best jobs for work-life balance, which showed that the data science field offered not only a good work-life balance, but also hefty pay and lots of opportunities. For those not already in the know, data scientists extract insights from masses of data, usually using math, statistics and programming skills. Glassdoor ranked jobs... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2024963/probably-best-job-world-work-life-balance-and-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2024963/probably-best-job-world-work-life-balance-and-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2016 08:23:19 +0000 The growth of the financial technology industry in China has the potential to be a catalyst for change when it comes to the numbers of women in senior roles in the country’s financial services industry, according to new research. The numbers of women in senior levels in China and Hong Kong remains below global averages, though this may be starting to change. This year, just 8 per cent of executive committee members in Chinese financial services companies were women, compared to 14 per cent in... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1977719/fintech-driving-gender-diversity-chinese-financial-services?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1977719/fintech-driving-gender-diversity-chinese-financial-services?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jun 2016 13:43:55 +0000 At the annual Hong Kong International Airport Career Expo over the weekend, one can easily find the Cathay Pacific cadet pilot programme booth - that is by far the busiest booth besieged by young men - and a few young women. Standing in the middle are Cathay pilots Allen, Clive and Michael, who are bombarded with questions on how to get into the programme that trains people with zero aviation experience how to fly, expenses paid. That was also the corner in the exhibition hall offering the... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1973656/hong-kong-has-aviation-labour-shortage-because-companies-dont-pay-enough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1973656/hong-kong-has-aviation-labour-shortage-because-companies-dont-pay-enough?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jun 2016 10:22:50 +0000 Australian freelancing website Freelancer.com is set to expand into China by adding local payment methods and customer support in Chinese to connect the world’s second-largest economy with the international gig economy. Freelancer connects contractors with job posters wanting to outsource projects from mobile app development to 3D rendering of a design or a cookbook. Freelancer chief executive officer Matt Barrie said the seven-year-old company plans to expand into China as similar services in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1971012/freelancercom-adds-payment-methods-chinese-gig-offerings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1971012/freelancercom-adds-payment-methods-chinese-gig-offerings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:02:48 +0000 “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” It’s a popular motto generally attributed to American polymath Benjamin Franklin. For a man whose career included being an author, printer, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat and - to top it all - a founding father of the United States, getting to work early was perhaps the least of Franklin’s worries. But for those of us with just the one job, does showing up to work early shape your career... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1851353/9-5-syndrome-how-flexible-working-hours-can-kill-your-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1851353/9-5-syndrome-how-flexible-working-hours-can-kill-your-career?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2015 03:00:30 +0000 US job growth rose solidly in January and wages rebounded strongly, a show of underlying strength in the economy that puts a mid-year interest rate increase from the Federal Reserve back on the table. Nonfarm payrolls increased 257,000 last month, the US Labor Department said on Friday. Data for November and December was revised to show a whopping 147,000 more jobs created than previously reported, bolstering views consumers will have enough muscle to carry the economy through rough seas. At... https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1705426/us-says-jobs-rose-257000-january-stokes-talk-rate-hike-mid-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1705426/us-says-jobs-rose-257000-january-stokes-talk-rate-hike-mid-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2015 14:09:01 +0000 The rich are different then you and me. This could explain why authorities are worried that if a proposed cross-border sailing scheme between Guangdong and Hong Kong is launched, private yacht owners will make a sideline of smuggling stuff, even pregnant women. “How would the authorities prevent pregnant mainlanders from visiting Hong Kong or smugglers going to Guangdong via private yachts?” Sunny Tao, a senior yacht salesman with Simpson Marine, was quoted in this paper as saying. Sounds a bit... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1692059/china-needs-jobs-graduates-and-curb-resentment-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1692059/china-needs-jobs-graduates-and-curb-resentment-about?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:00:15 +0000 Job growth in Hong Kong’s highly paid financial services sector is set to jump 15 per cent in the next few years and foreigners will dominate the new hires, a new report from the government’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) concludes. Poor English language skills and the unwillingness of graduates to take jobs in the fast-growing area of back-office compliance are locking Hongkongers out of one of the must lucrative sectors of the city’s economy. “Overall, the financial sector is... https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1692208/job-growth-hong-kong-financial-services-sector-rise-15-cent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1692208/job-growth-hong-kong-financial-services-sector-rise-15-cent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2015 06:00:15 +0000 Can’t find a dream jobs in Hong Kong? Shenzhen’s Qianhai economic zone may be the solution but you’d better be prepared to live without Facebook or Twitter. On a visit to Qianhai last week to find out what is happening there, what caught the eye, besides some new business buildings and many construction sites, was the young Hongkongers working there, something that may mark the start of a new trend of white collar workers heading north. Herman Leung Ka-hin and Freya Wang Tian-jiao, both from... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1657313/young-hongkongers-head-north-qianhai-job-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1657313/young-hongkongers-head-north-qianhai-job-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2014 01:09:11 +0000 Australian job advertisements in newspapers and on the internet have risen for a fourth straight month to hit a 19-month high, pointing to a gradual recovery in labour demand. A survey by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group showed total job advertisements rose 0.9 per cent to 137,087 per week on average in September. That was the highest average since February last year. August advertisements were revised up to show an increase of 1.6 per cent while ads were 7.9 per cent higher than in... https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1610551/australian-job-advertisements-hit-19-month-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1610551/australian-job-advertisements-hit-19-month-high?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2014 03:13:11 +0000 Reports from top recruitment firms and market trend analysts concur that jobs in the IT market are on the rise in Hong Kong. The first two quarters of 2014 revealed a steady demand for junior and mid-level IT personnel with strengths in application development and programming. The widespread use of mobile devices has caused an evolution in the way individuals and businesses operate and communicate, opening the doors wide for mobile technology and application development careers in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/article/1561177/application-development-careers-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1561177/application-development-careers-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2014 07:22:05 +0000 What is the asset and wealth management industry like in Hong Kong? In fact, what is asset and wealth management? They may sound very similar, but in the business world, they are two separate things. Asset management refers to a company that monitors and manages investments for others, whether they be individuals or entire companies. Equally so, wealth management provides a similar service, but usually a wealth management firm is working with one extremely wealthy client with a focus on... https://www.scmp.com/article/1561197/asset-and-wealth-management-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1561197/asset-and-wealth-management-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2014 07:21:30 +0000 The landscape of accounting is changing. According to the Intuit 2013 Future of Accountancy Report, newly simplified and automated finance-related products and services are making it easier for companies to manage or outsource their accounting needs, limiting traditional single-note accountancy services. However, this shift provides new opportunities for those positioned to take advantage of them, especially in China where the cost of labour is appealing for those countries and companies looking... https://www.scmp.com/article/1561180/future-accounting-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1561180/future-accounting-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2014 07:19:53 +0000 While it is common for MBA graduates to pursue corporate banking jobs after completing their studies, many may choose to expand their horizons by moving abroad. The number of countries to choose from is endless, but many may find the allure of China irresistible. For those who decide to move to a Chinese city, the life of a corporate banker in Hong Kong can be an incredibly rewarding experience. The booming economy long synonymous with the city has naturally affected the corporate banking... https://www.scmp.com/article/1561184/life-banker-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1561184/life-banker-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2014 07:17:37 +0000 Hong Kong is a growing city. In 2000, the population was around 6 million people. By 2020, the expected population is nearly 8 million people. Because of the city’s rare status as a free trade centre in mainland China, this population conjecture is only expected to increase in time. What does that mean? It means that there are, and will be, plenty of opportunities for architects to have big careers in Hong Kong’s immediate future. So what are some of the growing opportunities in Hong Kong? And... https://www.scmp.com/article/1561186/excel-architecture-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1561186/excel-architecture-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2014 07:16:37 +0000 Finding an employment opportunity in Hong Kong, one of the world’s top business centres, can be both exciting and challenging. Some of the best-paid jobs in the city are related to banking and finance job. Other major in-demand job categories include teaching, media and publishing, as well as restaurant, bar work and the hospitality industry. Hong Kong is a popular city for Western expatriates, not only for its culture, cuisine and social life, but for the increased chances of  finding... https://www.scmp.com/article/1555625/how-find-banking-and-finance-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1555625/how-find-banking-and-finance-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2014 04:45:15 +0000 Landing a banking and finance job in Hong Kong can lead to greater success in your career. If you are highly skilled in this field, there are many jobs available for you from major companies that are globally recognised and based in the city. Highly reputable companies that offer job opportunities from entry level to senior level positions include Maybank, JP Morgan, HSBC, Chong Hing Bank, Citibank, BOC and Sun Hung Kai Financial. Many in the banking and finance industry consider it a privilege... https://www.scmp.com/article/1555626/banking-and-finance-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1555626/banking-and-finance-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2014 04:43:39 +0000 Due to the widespread use of social media, marketing departments no longer simply focus on the general online population, but also adopt a more targeted approach. In turn, customers now have more control over their corporate relations through social media participation and engagement. At the same time, companies also strive to develop ways to increase customer engagement on a customised basis so that they can gather customers’ self-reported personal information and put it to good use. As a... https://www.scmp.com/article/1555623/social-media-has-become-essential-marketing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1555623/social-media-has-become-essential-marketing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2014 04:43:19 +0000 With the increasing competition among business entities, a company can only ignore the place of IT and Digital marketing jobs at its own peril. Undoubtedly, IT jobs have played a major role in boosting production by increasing efficiency, performance and output at different levels. Coming at a time when the world’s largest economies are crumbling down and the job market flooded with fresh graduates seeking employment opportunities, advancement in IT is without a doubt a most welcome initiative... https://www.scmp.com/article/1551091/opportunities-it-and-digital-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1551091/opportunities-it-and-digital-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2014 01:05:41 +0000 Over the last decade, the world has witnessed tremendous evolution in the area of Information Technology and Digital, and Hong Kong has not been left behind. Governments, businesses and individuals continue to seize these opportunities for improved service delivery, expansion of businesses, and reaching out to existing and potential clients. Technological advancement has also become a way to explore new markets and sustain established client bases.   Upward Growth of IT & Digital Jobs in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/article/1551080/trends-it-and-digital-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1551080/trends-it-and-digital-jobs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2014 01:05:07 +0000