Japan's 2026 average minimum wage rises to ¥1,177 per hour nationwide
Japan's 2026 minimum wage revision brings the nationwide average hourly minimum wage to ¥1,177, with new rates and effective dates varying across all 47 prefectures.
Asia-Pacific
Employment policy, talent markets and HR tech in Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Singapore HR Tech Firm BIPO Secures US$50M Investment from Apis Partners for Global Expansion
Singapore HR tech firm BIPO secured $50 million investment from Apis Partners for global expansion of its payroll and HR technology platform, strengthening AI, product development, and R&D capabilities to address cross-border payroll cycles, compliance, and multi-country team management.
UTS report says Australia's worker surveillance laws are dangerously outdated
A report by the University of Technology Sydney's Human Technology Institute, 'Drawing the line', says Australia's workplace surveillance laws are 'dangerously out of date', leaving workers exposed to invasive AI-powered monitoring and employers unclear on what's lawful. It calls for amending the Fair Work Act 2009 to require that monitoring be 'fair and reasonable', noting only NSW and the ACT have dedicated surveillance laws and the Privacy Act 1988 has an employee records exemption.
Latest
54 in the last two weeksToday · Monday 26 October
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Thailand officially postpones Employee Welfare Fund contributions to 1 January 2027
On 22 October 2026, Thailand's Royal Gazette published a Royal Decree officially postponing the start of employee savings and employer contributions to the Employee Welfare Fund to 1 January 2027.
- Asia-Pacific·M&A
Red Alpha Singapore and nuKudo merge to launch tech workforce provider Aleph
Red Alpha Singapore and nuKudo announced their unification under a new brand, Aleph, a global technology workforce solutions provider. The launch includes an expanded enterprise solutions portfolio, international growth plans, and a redesigned global website aimed at helping organizations build technical capabilities and individuals access emerging-tech careers.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Japan auto union group looks beyond inflation-linked pay hikes for 2027 talks
A Japanese auto industry union group said it is looking beyond inflation-linked pay increases for the 2027 spring wage negotiations. The organization is considering new approaches to compensation talks amid a changing labor market.
- Asia-Pacific·Earnings
Tata Elxsi to restructure work allocation to boost productivity
During its Q2 FY27 earnings call, India's Tata Elxsi said it will shift selected tasks from senior employees to trained junior staff over the next six months to improve workforce utilisation and manage costs. Employee utilisation stood at around 78% in the quarter, and the company has completed its annual salary revision, expecting employee costs to stay largely stable.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
Nearly 44% of India's GCCs now own platforms and AI outcomes, report finds
A report from TeamLease Digital found nearly 44% of India's Global Capability Centres (GCCs) now own platforms, products, AI adoption and business-critical outcomes. AI Architect roles command median fixed pay up to Rs 10.86 million annually at 15+ years' experience, while Principal Data Scientists earn up to Rs 9.28 million. AI-Core roles start at 2.5-3x the pay of AI-Support positions.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
AI could reshape how young employees start careers in India, IIT Madras paper says
A white paper titled 'How AI Is Reconfiguring Work in India', from the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT Madras, says AI could reshape entry-level jobs in India by automating routine tasks and altering junior employees' responsibilities, even without eliminating entire roles. It recommends assessing AI's impact task-by-task rather than by occupation, flagging IT, BPO, finance and professional services as most exposed, with implications for how young workers gain experience and advance.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
India's top IT firms diverge on headcount in September quarter
India's four largest IT services firms reported divergent headcount trends in the September 2026 quarter: HCLTech added a net 6,450 employees, Infosys added 4,480, TCS continued expanding, while Wipro cut 6,716. HCLTech reversed a prior-quarter decline, driven mainly by fresher hiring, ending at 230,339 employees with attrition at 12.8%; Infosys reached 332,542 employees with voluntary attrition easing to 12.7%.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Malaysia Budget 2027: RM2,000 minimum wage to take effect June 2027
Malaysia's Treasury Secretary-General Johan Mahmood Merican said the RM2,000 minimum wage, delayed to take effect in June 2027 under Budget 2027, is intended to give MSMEs time to adjust their business operations.
- Asia-Pacific·Funding
India's Hunar.AI raises Rs 40 crore Series A to expand frontline workforce conversational AI
Bengaluru-based conversational AI startup Hunar.AI has raised Rs 40 crore ($4.8m) in a Series A round led by Blume Ventures, with participation from Hyderabad Angels Fund, Seedstars International and others. Founded in 2022, the company helps manage frontline workforce hiring, onboarding, training and engagement across 20+ languages, and will use funds for AI infrastructure, product development and market expansion.
- Asia-Pacific·News
Japanese firms break price-hike taboo to pass on rising labor costs
Japanese companies are increasingly raising prices to offset rising labor costs, breaking a long-standing reluctance to pass wage increases on to consumers. Curry chain CoCo Ichibanya raised prices on 12 toppings by an average 17% in September and added a 7% late-night surcharge, among other examples cited.
- Asia-Pacific·Funding
Japan's KnowledgeWork secures ¥4.8B in Series C debt financing
Tokyo-based sales enablement AI company KnowledgeWork secured ¥4.8 billion in debt financing, including credit facilities, in the second closing of its Series C round, provided by Mizuho Bank, SMBC, MUFG Bank and others. Combined with ¥3.5 billion in equity from the first closing, cumulative equity funding reached ¥9.74 billion and total debt financing reached ¥6.49 billion, to support sales AI agent development.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
India-NZ FTA takes effect, opening 5,000 temporary work visa slots for Indians
The India-New Zealand free trade agreement took effect on October 20, 2026, introducing a new temporary work pathway for eligible Indian professionals with a quota of up to 5,000 visas at any time and stays of up to three years, covering IT, engineering, construction, education, healthcare, yoga, culinary arts and Ayush. The deal also allows contractual service providers to stay up to 12 months, business visitors up to 90 days, and opens 118 services sub-sectors to Indian providers.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Singapore tripartite workgroup issues six recommendations to extend senior employment
Singapore's Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment (TWG-SE) released a report with six recommendations aimed at helping more seniors who wish to remain in meaningful and sustainable employment for longer, while fostering age-friendly workplaces.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
UTS report says Australia's worker surveillance laws are dangerously outdated
A report by the University of Technology Sydney's Human Technology Institute, 'Drawing the line', says Australia's workplace surveillance laws are 'dangerously out of date', leaving workers exposed to invasive AI-powered monitoring and employers unclear on what's lawful. It calls for amending the Fair Work Act 2009 to require that monitoring be 'fair and reasonable', noting only NSW and the ACT have dedicated surveillance laws and the Privacy Act 1988 has an employee records exemption.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
Japan's foreign resident and worker numbers hit record highs amid stricter residency rules
Japan's Immigration Services Agency said foreign residents reached a record 4.28 million as of end-June 2026, up 3.8% from end-2025. Foreign workers hit a record 2.57 million as of October 2025, up 11.7% year on year. A government survey found 91% of foreign residents satisfied with life in Japan, even as Business Manager and permanent residency screenings tighten and renewal fees rise.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
Infosys adds 4,480 employees in Q2, headcount hits 332,542
Infosys added 4,480 employees in Q2 FY27, bringing total headcount to 332,542 as of September 30, 2026, up just 551 year-on-year. The company also hired 8,000 freshers this quarter toward a full-year target of about 20,000, more than half already met.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Australia commits extra A$6.9m to mental health support for high-risk workers
Australia's federal government will spend an additional A$6.9 million over two years on mental health and suicide prevention for workers in high-risk industries, funding MATES in Construction to expand in New South Wales. Ministers Amanda Rishworth and Emma McBride announced the investment on October 22 as part of an extension of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Support Programme. MATES has trained over 69,000 workers since 2022, producing more than 8,000 peer 'Connectors'.
Yesterday · Sunday 25 October
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Japan's 2026 average minimum wage rises to ¥1,177 per hour nationwide
Japan's 2026 minimum wage revision brings the nationwide average hourly minimum wage to ¥1,177, with new rates and effective dates varying across all 47 prefectures.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Eighteen Categories of Foreign Workers Exempt from Vietnam Work Permits
Vietnam's Decree 393/2026/ND-CP effective December 15 exempts 18 categories of foreign workers from work permits, including investors, strategic tech experts, AI professionals, limited-liability and joint-stock shareholders meeting thresholds, foreign lawyers, and foreign nationals married to Vietnamese citizens residing in Vietnam.
- Asia-Pacific·Partnership
West Bengal partners with Adani Group on youth skill training and jobs
The West Bengal government is signing agreements with major industrial players including Adani Group to provide youth skill training and facilitate subsequent employment, the state's chief minister said. Under the central government's PM Setu scheme, the state also plans to hand over 51 state-run Industrial Training Institutes to private corporate groups to modernize infrastructure and align curricula with industry needs.
- Asia-Pacific·News
POSCO Union Warns of Indefinite Strike After Wage Talks Collapse
South Korea's POSCO union warned of an indefinite strike beginning November 2 at Pohang and Gwangyang plants if wage talks fail. The union seeks 7.1% base wage increase, 600% performance bonus, 50 company shares and 200% holiday pay; the company offered 2.5% raise and 5 million won one-time payment. The company employs ~17,000 workers, ~10,100 unionized.
- Asia-Pacific·News
Lee Biscuits to Close 92-Year-Old Pontian Factory, Laying Off Staff
Lee Biscuits will close its 92-year-old Pontian factory by October 2026, laying off staff. Parent Lee Group is reportedly exiting snacks manufacturing to focus on rubber and palm oil, marking the group's second Johor food facility closure in three years.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Malaysia's KESUMA Launches TalentCorp Governance Review Amid Alleged Interference
Malaysia's HR Ministry (KESUMA) announced October 22, 2026, that it is collaborating with TalentCorp to strengthen governance, compliance and operations, finding improvement gaps in bylaws, policy compliance and accountability mechanisms. The ministry formally reported alleged interference with the review investigation.
- Asia-Pacific·Funding
Singapore HR Tech Firm BIPO Secures US$50M Investment from Apis Partners for Global Expansion
Singapore HR tech firm BIPO secured $50 million investment from Apis Partners for global expansion of its payroll and HR technology platform, strengthening AI, product development, and R&D capabilities to address cross-border payroll cycles, compliance, and multi-country team management.
- Asia-Pacific·Product
Japanese Builder Takenaka to Offer 'Meister' Credential for Foreign Staff
Takenaka, a major Japanese builder, will offer a 'meister' credential for highly skilled foreign workers to develop leadership talent and address Japan's skilled construction labor shortage.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
Survey on Developing 'Neo-Generalist' Talent Needed in the AI Era
Japan's HR department releases survey on talent needed in the AI era, proposing enterprises develop 「neo-generalist」 workers with cross-domain capabilities; sample size and data details unavailable.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
EPFO Considers Rs 25,000cr War Chest to Stabilise Interest Payouts
India's EPFO is considering establishing a Rs 25,000-crore war chest to stabilise interest payouts to members amid economic pressures.
- Asia-Pacific·Policy & Law
Seminar Held in Coimbatore on EPFO Scheme Updates Including Wage Ceiling Rise
India's Coimbatore Chamber of Commerce held a seminar on EPFO scheme updates, including a wage ceiling increase from 15,000 to 25,000 rupees monthly effective September 17, PM-VBRY employment scheme, employee registration for EEC 2026 through October 31, and VISHWAS 2026 penalty waiver plan.
- Asia-Pacific·People
Oracle India Layoff Severance Leak Shows Up to 26 Weeks' Pay, Health Insurance
Leaked Oracle India severance calculations show up to 26 weeks' pay plus health insurance based on gross salary. A 2.5-year employee received ~6 months pay plus notice and bonuses; the layoff affected ~30,000 globally across U.S., Mexico and India.
- Asia-Pacific·Research
Survey Finds 35.9% of Japanese Organizations Lack Enough Language Teachers for New Foreign Worker System
Japan's immigration authority and Labor Ministry surveyed 1,880 organizations through October 7, receiving 348 valid responses. Some 35.9% lack sufficient registered Japanese language teachers with no hiring prospects; 19% expect recruitment success. From April 2026, the new Skill Development Employment System replaces intern programs, requiring foreign workers to pass A1-level Japanese or complete 100+ hours training.