Markets & Data
Jobs and pay data, industry research, earnings and workforce moves by large employers.
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122 in the last two weeksToday · Monday 26 October
- China·Research
Experts discuss how Chinese firms' overseas expansion creates youth jobs abroad amid risks
At a labor economics forum in Beijing on Chinese firms' overseas expansion and youth employment abroad, experts noted that by end-2025 China had 58,000 overseas enterprises employing 4.761 million people, including about 1.8 million Chinese expatriates. Experts cited talent gaps in Africa, Central Asia and Latin America and called for credential recognition and support for returning youth, while warning of risks from informal recruitment channels.
- China·News
Shanghai holds fourth seasonal job fair for returning overseas students, offering 2,259 positions
On October 23, 2026, the Shanghai Human Resources Public Service Center held the fourth seasonal job fair for returning overseas students, with 81 employers offering 2,259 positions and nearly 1,000 students attending. The event combined in-person recruiting with AI-assisted resume writing and job matching, featuring companies like AUMOVIO, Spring Airlines and CP Group.
- China·News
BOSS Zhipin cracks down on rented accounts and fake job listings
BOSS Zhipin issued a notice targeting the rental/sale of recruiter accounts and posting of fabricated job listings, having already banned multiple violating accounts. The platform warned recruiters against third-party 'posting services' and cited cases of recruiters losing RMB9,000 and RMB1,600 to account rental scams, urging job seekers to verify job authenticity.
- United States·Earnings
American Express to cut 5% of global workforce amid AI restructuring
American Express plans to cut about 5% of its global workforce as it restructures to improve efficiency and prepare for broader AI adoption, according to its third-quarter earnings disclosure. The move will result in thousands of job cuts and a $336 million charge. The company had nearly 77,000 employees at the end of 2025.
- United States·News
Netflix layoffs and exec shake-ups expose Hollywood-Silicon Valley rift
Netflix has laid off about 6% of its workforce and abandoned an $82.7 billion bid for Warner Bros., facing investor scrutiny over its growth strategy. Tensions between its L.A.-based content executives and Silicon Valley engineering teams have deepened since co-founder Reed Hastings handed the co-CEO role to Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters in January 2023.
- 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.
- China·Research
Consultant Mu Sheng proposes 'Human-AI Collaboration Team' framework reshaping org and HR theory
Consulting firm Mu Sheng proposed the concept of 'Human-AI Collaboration Team,' defined as a work unit combining human members and AI agents with clear role division and decision rights. The article, published Oct 26, 2026, outlines five member types and cites Gartner and Microsoft frameworks distinguishing AI tools, assistants and agents, arguing traditional HR and org management theory must evolve.
- Europe·Research
McKinsey HR Monitor 2026 finds only 22% of firms do skills-based planning
McKinsey's HR Monitor 2026 finds only 22% of surveyed companies plan workforce needs based on skills, and just 11% pursue long-term workforce planning. The article notes AI and shifting role profiles are rapidly changing required competencies, urging mid-sized firms to align skills development with strategy.
- Europe·Research
WTW survey: 60% of German firms to review company car policy within a year
WTW's global Company Car Survey, covering 9,688 respondents in 75 countries including 359 German companies, found 83% of German firms offer a car benefit versus a 72% European average. 46% of German companies already let employees choose between a company car and a cash allowance, compared with 29% in Europe. 60% of German firms plan a policy review within 12 months.
- Europe·Research
Study finds European teens prefer professional care careers over needed frontline roles
A study using PISA data on a million 15-year-olds finds that in many European countries, over 90% of care-minded teenagers expect professional or managerial jobs, while eldercare and personal care roles barely register. Girls' care-career expectations rose from 38% to 43% between 2000-2022, boys' from 10% to 15%. The EU's 2022 European Care Strategy projects a need for 1.6 million additional long-term care workers by 2050.
- United States·Research
Stefanini's global CHRO highlights four core skills for AI-era hiring
Stefanini Group Global CHRO Bruno Szarf says AI is now a required skill in a third of entry-level jobs and has been adopted by 47% of U.S. employers. He recommends hiring based on four core qualities: change management, critical thinking, practical thinking and AI fluency, rather than traditional technical checklists.
- Global·Research
ILO paper finds fewer than one in five AI ethics guidelines reference labour standards
A working paper published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in October 2026 reviewed 245 AI ethics guidelines and found more than 60% address work-related issues, but fewer than 20% mention the ILO or its international labour standards. Authors Jordi Agustí-Panareda and Daniel Samaan argue AI ethics discourse largely overlooks the ILO's long-established normative framework for labour governance.
- Global·Research
Korn Ferry report predicts hiring, learning and workforce planning functions to merge by 2027
Korn Ferry's 13th annual Talent Trends report, published 22 October 2026 and surveying over 1,300 talent and senior leaders across more than 75 countries, found 69% agree HR, talent acquisition, learning and workforce planning will merge into a single integrated function by 2027. New senior HR roles focused on skills, work design and AI are expected to emerge, with 77% citing capability gaps as a bigger challenge than talent shortages and 66% planning heavy investment in reskilling.
- 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.
- United States·News
Airbnb CEO Chesky says pure people managers won't survive the AI shift
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said on the Invest Like The Best podcast that the biggest risk in the AI era is refusing to evolve, not the technology itself. He said pure people managers who only manage people will have no future value, and leaders must become 'hybrid people managers' or manager-ICs.
Yesterday · Sunday 25 October
- Europe·News
Barclays to Cut 5,000 Jobs, Expands AI Adoption for Efficiency
Barclays announced 5,000 job cuts (5% of global workforce) as part of organizational simplification and technology-driven efficiency plans. The cuts follow prior reductions of 1,000 positions, with 4,000 more expected by end-2026; 60% affect support functions including software developers, concentrated in UK retail banking.
- United States·Research
US manufacturing jobs rebound but hiring now favors higher skills, education
US manufacturing employment is growing again, but increased factory automation and complexity mean many new jobs now require a college degree or advanced training, according to a Wall Street Journal report. While these higher-skill roles offer better pay and profits, employers risk facing a shortage of adequately trained workers if training programs fail to keep pace.
- United States·News
Audi to invest $4.2 billion in first US plant, creating 4,500 jobs
US President Donald Trump announced that German automaker Audi, a unit of Volkswagen, plans to invest $4.2 billion to build its first US factory in Macon, Georgia, with annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles and creating about 4,500 jobs. Construction is expected to begin next year, with production targeted for the early 2030s.
- 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.
- Europe·News
SHEIN Launches Large-Scale Recruitment at European Logistics Hub in Poland
Cross-border e-commerce firm SHEIN announced major recruitment at its Polish logistics hub, adding ~3,000 jobs in 2026 across warehouse operations and sorting. As of June 30, 2026, SHEIN's Poland warehouse spans ~600 square meters and plans automated sorting systems to boost efficiency.
- 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.
- Canada & Latin America·News
More Than 1,200 Workers Walk Off Job at B.C. Copper Mine After Contract Talks Fail
Over 1,200 union workers at Highland Valley Copper mine near Logan Lake, B.C., struck on October 25 after contract negotiations failed. Operator Teck Resources reduced production; USW Local 7619 cited wages, pensions and retention as key issues.
- Global·Research
Green-Skilled Workers Hired at 1.5x Overall Rate, LinkedIn Data Shows
LinkedIn's October 22, 2026 「Global Green Skills Report 2026」 (39 pages) shows green-skilled workers hired 52.7% faster than overall workforce. Green recruitment share grew 25% year-over-year while green talent share rose only 13%, widening supply-demand gaps. Most hiring concentrated in finance, operations and tech rather than dedicated sustainability teams.
- 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.
- United States·News
Arizona IAM Members Ratify Raytheon Contract with 24% Average Wage Growth
IAM Local 933 members in Tucson, Arizona ratified a new five-year Raytheon contract covering 2,200+ missile- and defense-systems production workers. The deal includes 24% average cumulative wage growth, $3,000 signing bonus, $1,500 401(k) match, and $3,500 ammunition production bonus.
- China·Research
31 Provinces Release Average Wages; National Civil Service Exam Averages 85 Applicants Per Post
China's 31 provinces released prior-year average wage data. The national civil service exam averaged 85 applicants per position.
- Europe·Research
Nearly 56% of UK businesses feel negative about Employment Rights Act impact
A Peninsula survey found nearly 56% of UK businesses feel negative about the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA), which takes effect January 1, 2027. 43% of businesses were concerned about hiring risks, rising to 51% among firms with 5-20 employees. A quarter cited unfair dismissal changes as a major or critical risk (44.4% in retail/wholesale). While 73% were familiar with the ERA, only 47% felt prepared, and hospitality was the most negative sector at 89%.
- China·News
Four job fairs at Heilongjiang universities offer over 32,000 positions this fall
Four universities in Heilongjiang—Heilongjiang University, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Qiqihar University and Jiamusi University—held autumn job fairs for 2027 graduates, attracting over 1,400 employers and offering more than 32,000 jobs combined. The province has held 165 job fairs this fall with 200+ more planned by year-end, and launched a provincial 'employment supermarket' platform hosting over 50,000 companies offering 100,000+ monthly openings.