US immigration Bill unlikely to hit Indian IT firms: Nasscom

US immigration Bill unlikely to hit Indian IT firms: Nasscom ... The proposed US Immigration Reform Bill by the US House of Representatives is unlikely to have ...
See all stories on this topic »


Republicans, Democrats clash over immigrationIndian Express
At a hearing of the House Judiciary immigration subcommittee Tuesday on how to ... And some Democrats and immigration advocates said it was a welcome ...
See all stories on this topic »


65 MPs write to Obama against a visa for Narendra ModiIndian Express
Even as BJP president Rajnath Singh is lobbying here with the US for a visa for Narendra Modi, 65 Indian MPs have written letters to President Barack Obama, ...
See all stories on this topic » 


Two immigration officers accused of extortionIndian Express
A BTech graduate, who was deported from Bangkok for not having sufficient bank balance to facilitate his stay there, has accused two immigration officers of ...
See all stories on this topic »

Statistics Finland: Unemployment down this June

Statistics Finland: Unemployment down this June


In June there were 217,000 people out of work in Finland - 6,000 less than the same time last year, according to Statistics Finland.

Employment figures fuel graduate job hopes


However, the prospects for university leavers of securing a graduate-level job this year are less clear. Recent surveys suggest that although there will be a jump in the number of roles for graduates at the most prestigious employers, the overall ...

Statistics Day Celebrated Across India with Labour andEmployment Statistics ...


The Statistics Day was celebrated across India on 29 June 2013. This day is celebrated on the occasion of Birth anniversary of Late Prof PC Mahalanobis.

7th Statistics Day


The theme chosen for the 7th Statistics Day, “Labour & Employment Statistics” is extremely relevant in the context of our State where unemployment is a social issue of serious concern.

Factory employee figures up, productivity slips

KUALA LUMPUR: The sales value of Malaysia’s manufacturing sector declined by 3.6% (RM9.2bil) at RM248.7bil in the January-May period this year compared to 2012’s numbers, the Department of Statistics Malaysia reported.

It said the total number of employees in this period went up by 1.3% (12,954 persons) while productivity decreased by 4.8% to RM238,907 per employee.

This May’s sales value declined 2.4%, down to RM50.7bil from RM51.9bil from the same month last year.

It attributed the drop in sales value to slower sales in 58 of the 116 industries surveyed – chiefly in computer and computer peripherals (18.1%), basic iron and steel products (17.6%), refined petroleum product (12.4%), basic industrial chemicals (excepting fertilisers and nitrogen compounds – 11.5%), and semi-conductor devices (3.4%).

Looking at in on a month-on-month basis, however, May’s sales value increased 1.9% (or RM1bil) – or 2.4% when seasonally adjusted.

Employment figures were positive. Total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in May 2013 was 1,040,924 persons, up 0.1% compared with the preceding month, while on a year-on-year basis, the number of employees increased by 1.3%.

That’s 12,954 more people employed in the sector in May this year compared to May 2012.

Meanwhile the total number of employees in April 2013 has been revised to +1.2% year-on-year at 1,039,648 persons.

Salaries and wages paid out in May 2013 decreased, month-on-month, by 1.7% (RM46.2 million), to register RM2,679.5mil. But this is still an increase of 6.6% (RM165.3 million) compared with the corresponding month in 2012. Average salary and wages per employee was RM2,574, down 1.8% from the previous month but up 5.2% compared with May 2012.

In terms of productivity, average sales value per employee increased month-on-month by 1.7% at RM48,673 from April 2013, but decreased by 3.6% compared with May 2012’s figures.

University graduate employment figures

According to employment data 2011-12, Graduates from London South Bank University are the least likely to be in a job or studying six months after leaving.

Meanwhile, graduates from the Royal Academy of Music, Bishop Grosseteste University and the private University of Buckingham are among those most likely to find a job or to continue their studies.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency published figures on employment rates at UK higher education institutions for 2011-12 graduates. The statistics are based on the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey of graduates.

Across the sector, 90.8 per cent of full-time first-degree leavers were in employment and/or further study six months after graduating.

The lowest five institutions on Hesa’s employment indicator were London South Bank (77.4 per cent of graduates in a job or further study six months after graduating), the University of East London (79.4 per cent), the University of Bolton (81.1 per cent), Middlesex University (82.3 per cent) and London Metropolitan University (83.3 per cent).

The highest five institutions on the employment indicator were the Royal Academy of Music (100 per cent of graduates in a job or further study six months after graduating), Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (98.9 per cent), the School of Pharmacy (98.2 per cent – the School merged with University College London in January 2012 but still made a separate Hesa return for 2011-12), the Royal College of Music (98 per cent) and Robert Gordon University (97.7 per cent).

The next highest-scoring institutions were Bishop Grosseteste University (97 per cent) and the private University of Buckingham (96.9 per cent).

Anthony Bowne, Trinity Laban principal, said: “The creative world has always been a competitive one, but consistently strong employability figures like ours provide a real sense of confidence for prospective students, parents and teachers.”

In the Hesa figures, institutions are also given individual benchmarks for their graduate employment performance. Hesa explains that the benchmark is a “sector average adjusted for the type of institution in question. The benchmarks are not government targets or quotas.”

The institution that was furthest below its benchmark was London South Bank, followed by Bolton, the University of the West of Scotland, Teesside University and the Royal Veterinary College.

The institution that was farthest ahead of its benchmark was the Royal Academy of Music, followed by Trinity Laban, Ravensbourne, the Royal College of Music and Arts University Bournemouth.

France opens 'arms and hearts' for Indian students

New Delhi: At a time when the UK is mulling hefty visa cash bond raising concerns here, France today announced a slew of India-specific measures easing visa norms for those wanting to pursue higher education, a move that is expected to increase the inflow of Indian students to that country. "There is no competition between the UK and us. We have our own visa policy, they (the UK) have their own visa policy," French Ambassador to India Francois Richier said here.

France, he said, is not challenging anybody but has introduced a number of measures to enable Indian students to study in his country. "It is about opening our arms and hearts for Indian students by facilitating their stay, not only in their visa area but other things like training, taking care of jobs when they are back in India. It is a package thing," Richier told PTI.

The French envoy said that since France shares a genuine partnership with India, it has chosen to open its frontiers even wider to Indian students. He said that following the visit of French President Francois Hollande in February this year, a number of measures have been taken to facilitate the issuance of visas for Indian students, the creation of a "France-India" network as well as an increased number of scholarships offered by the French Embassy and its corporate partners.

In order to facilitate travel to France for all Indian citizens who have studied in France, Richier said that as of July 14, all Indian citizens who have graduated from a French higher education institution subsequently applying for a tourist or business visa for a trip to France, will be given a visa with a long period of validity - up to five years if the studies in France were at the Master or PhD levels.

Asked if it was a general policy applicable to all foreign students, he said the new visa measures have been taken at the Embassy level and is applicable to only Indian students.

Ten Tips to Securing your Dream Job

On average we spend most of our time at our place of work, we also spend a majority of our lies working and because of this, it is almost crucial that we all find a job or a career that we can be passionate about, enjoy and do for many years to come.

Being happy at work is so important to make sure your life in general is enjoyable. There is no worse feeling than waking up every morning with a sense of dread about having to go to work to a job you have no enjoyment in. With the job market coming increasingly more competitive, it takes more to be the perfect candidate for your dream job including having just the right qualifications, experience and personality to fit within a company.

There are some things that we can all do to make sure we remain a competitive person in the jobs market and that the dream job becomes a reality…

1. Relevant Qualifications
You are never too old to go back to school and gain the qualifications you need to secure your ideal position. Many jobs ask for quite specific qualifications, with the amount of good candidates applying, employers can afford to be picky. Make sure you have the right certificates and achievements to fulfil the needs of employers.

2. Work Experience
Experience is the second most desired trait that employers looks for when considering a CV. If you are just starting out or are changing your career the experience may not be there. Consider an internship or part time role just to gain some experience even if it is minimal, this will also show your commitment.

3. Apply Apply Apply 
No matter how many knock backs and rejections you may receive, keep going anyway. Online applications for jobs make the process quick and easy and you can apply for multiple positions that take your interest in a short space of time.

4. Career Direction
Asking career advisors, experts in the field and even business owners about the things you can do to secure your dream job is a good idea. It means you get a better idea about the things you need to achieve and work towards.

5. Find your interests
We all have something in particular that we are interested in, passionate about and most importantly, good at. Finding this may not be as easy as you think, but do not rule out anything even if it may seem small to you, like being good at art for example, it could turn in to your new career.

6. Work Hard
No matter what, continue to work hard and as cheesy as it sounds, do not give up on the dream job if it is what you really want. Hard work tends to pay off in the end.

7. Accept it takes time
These things, particularly career related, do not tend to happen overnight. It takes time to gain the qualifications, work experience and someone to give you the opportunity to prove yourself. Although it wont happen immediately, it will still happen.

8. Do not give up
Keep chasing your dream. Keep gaining new qualifications and experience because every new addition to your CV and personal skills brings you a step closer to your end goal.

9. Keep your foot in the door
Even if you do not get the right job in the right industry, make sure you keep up to date with the latest industry news and make sure you are still active. For example, a writer that continues to freelance will make a better impression than one that does nothing for several months.

10. Continue the hard work
Even once you have gained the dream job, you need to keep it. Make sure the hard work and passion are maintained and do not become complacent because you are not indispensable.

High job satisfaction figures 'great story for NZ'

The majority of Kiwis enjoy a good work life balance and are satisfied with their jobs because New Zealand is such a great place to live, an employment commentator says.

A survey of working life by Statistics New Zealand found 85% of all employed people were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their main jobs.

Just one in 20 people were 'dissatisfied' or 'very dissatisfied'.

Employment commentator Jason Ennor said the overall result of the survey was great.

"Great story for New Zealand, great story for working life in New Zealand."

Even those workers who do long hours manage to balance work and life really well, he said.

"We've got access to some beautiful, beautiful country, and overall I think a country that's pretty chilled out. It's a great place to live."

In a recent international survey New Zealand also scored seven points ahead of the global average of work life balance.

"I think that really shows our willingness to adopt new technology, flexible work practices, cloud-based services, being able to operate anywhere, being able to live at the beach and work from the beach."

"Kiwis are naturally very very eager to adopt change. We punch above our weight globally in tech fields."

The survey also showed many employers work long hours.

"I think that talks to our entrepreneurial spirit and culture, we're a country of small business," Mr Ennor said.

"People go out there and work hard on their own ventures. They love it, they're passionate about it."

But it wasn't all good.

Ten percent of workers reported they had been discriminated against, harassed or bullied in the workplace.

"Any form of discrimination or harassment is not welcome. That's old school management practice that we don't really need."

It would be great to see that figure down to 1% of zero, said Mr Ennor.

Also of concern was an overrepresentation of women in the temporary workforce.

While 90% of workers were in permanent employment, 10% were in temporary roles, the Survey of Working Life said.

"The number one reason was they didn't have any choice, the industry only offered them temp work, and over half of them said they would work on a permanent basis if they had the option to do so."

"Of that temporary workforce female workers are definitely overrepresented," Mr Ennor said, with 60% of temp workers female.

The Survey of Working Life is based on a sample of 14,500 employed New Zealanders.