Corporate tax rate likely to stay
SINGAPORE - Singapore is not likely to tweak its corporate tax rate of 17 per cent in next month's Budget, according to accounting firm Ernst & Young.

For more, see http://www.todayonline.com/Business/EDC100128-0000108/Corporate-tax-rate-likely-to-stay

S'pore-based workers aged 30-47 lead drive for more global exposure
SINGAPORE : Singapore-based workers between the ages of 30 and 47 are leading the drive for more exposure in the globalised workforce.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1033425/1/.html

Foreign workers must pass English test to qualify for skilled status
SINGAPORE : To qualify for skilled levy status, foreign workers in the hotel, food and beverage (F&B), and retail sectors in Singapore will have to pass a listening and oral English test.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1032593/1/.html

61% of firms hiring more
BOSSES across the business spectrum - from multinationals to medium- and large-sized enterprises - will be stepping up hiring this year, according to a survey.

For more, see http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_480160.html

Work grievances in focus
NOW that the number of discriminatory job advertisements has dropped drastically - from almost 20 per cent to 1 per cent - the spotlight is on "in-employment" biases.

For more, see http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100121-0000078/Work-grievances-in-focus

Top S'porean concern: Costs
ABOUT 20 per cent of Singaporeans feel more confident about their personal finances in the last quarter than in the previous six months, a recent poll has found.

For more, see http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_479202.html

JAL faces showdown with retirees
Japan Airlines Corp. is having a hard time getting its retirees to approve drastic cuts in pension benefits as it heads toward court-backed rehabilitation, sources close to the matter said Sunday.

For more, see http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20100111a1.html

JAL to cut 15,600 jobs
TOKYO - TROUBLED Japan Airlines Corp is set to cut about 15,600 jobs, a third of its work force, and reject billion-dollar cash offers from Delta and American Airlines, as it files for bankruptcy and embarks on a government-led turnaround, reports said on Monday.

For more, see http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Money/Story/STIStory_475878.html

Longest working hours
SINGAPORE'S workers continue to lead the pack when it comes to the number of hours they put in at work, according to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

For more, see http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Money/Story/STIStory_475841.html

Banks back on hiring spree
A FLURRY of hiring is under way at many banks in Singapore, reversing the bloodletting of last year when the global financial crisis took a harsh toll on jobs.

For more, see http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_475246.html

Police urge Melbourne workers to leave early
Police are urging workers in Melbourne's CBD to either leave work early to avoid transport chaos or stay back late until after extreme temperatures have peaked.

For more, see http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=992598

More South Koreans choose to remain single
SEOUL: The family structure in South Korea has changed dramatically since the late 1990s. Being a Confucian society, it was not easy to find people who would admit to being single-mothers or divorcees.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/lifestylenews/view/1028437/1/.html

Japan opens doors to foreign healthcare workers
SHIMODA, Shizuoka Prefecture: Japan is one of the world's fastest aging societies and this is creating a demand for healthcare services for the elderly.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/1028982/1/.html

Helping retrenched PMETs find jobs will be key focus for 5 CDCs
SINGAPORE: Strengthening their network of job placement centres and rolling out more help programmes for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) are some of the key tasks in the pipeline for the five Community Development Councils (CDCs) as Singapore emerges from the economic downturn.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1028930/1/.html

Fair Work watchdog to check on 50,000 businesses
Fair Work inspectors will visit almost 50,000 small businesses across Australia to help them understand and comply with the federal government's new workplace laws.

For more, see http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/managing/fair-work-watchdog-to-check-on-50000-businesses-20100105-lr4u.html

S'pore cannot expect to go back to growth rates of pre-crisis years
SINGAPORE : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that Singapore cannot expect to go back to the growth rates achieved before the global economic crisis.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1028318/1/.html

SPUR helps companies weather downturn
SINGAPORE : One year on, the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) has seen 4,000 companies tap on the scheme to weather the downturn.

For more, see http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1028288/1/.html