Online Bureau
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Too hot to work: Saudi bans midday outdoor labour this summer
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development will enforce a midday outdoor work ban for private sector employees from June 15 to September 15, 2025. Work under direct sunlight between 12 pm and 3 pm will be prohibited to prevent heat-related health risks. Employers must adjust work schedules to comply. The move aims to ensure worker safety, reduce occupational injuries, and align with global health and safety standards.
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UK employment falls sharply, 276,000 jobs lost since October 2024
UK payroll employment fell by 109,000 in May, the steepest drop since 2020, bringing total job losses since October 2024 to 276,000 amid tax hikes and rising labour costs. Wage growth slowed to 5.2%, and unemployment rose to 4.6%. The data signals weakening employer confidence and growing workforce strain as businesses curb hiring and focus on cost control.
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Avanos Medical appoints Camille Chang Gilmore as Chief Human Resources Officer
Camille Chang Gilmore, with over 25 years of HR leadership experience across sectors, joins Avanos Medical as Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President. Most recently, she served as Global Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of HR for Boston Scientific’s Interventional Cardiology division. In her new role at Avanos, she will spearhead the company’s global people strategy, overseeing talent acquisition, workforce planning, leadership development, and enhancing the employee experience.
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63% of APME firms ramp up automation investment as Q3 hiring remains stable: Survey
Employers in Asia‑Pacific and the Middle East report a steady 28% growth in Net Employment Outlook for Q3 2025, flat from Q2 but up 7  points year‑on‑year. Tech, finance and industry roles are fueling demand, and 63% of firms are investing more in automation. Businesses cite expansion as their main hiring driver, mitigating global economic uncertainty.
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67% of UAE workers prefer working onsite, but 31% feel supported: Report
Gensler’s 2025 Global Workplace Survey reveals that UAE workers want offices that go beyond functionality, favouring creative, wellness-driven spaces over traditional formats. While 67% prefer to work mostly onsite, only 31% feel their current workplace supports peak performance. The report urges employers to reimagine offices as hubs of innovation, flexibility, and human connection to align with the UAE’s national goals.
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79% of HR leaders say poor employee experience harms business results: Survey
Scarlettabbott’s World Changers 2025 report reveals that poor employee experience is directly linked to weaker business performance, with 79% of HR leaders agreeing. Key challenges include a lack of leadership buy-in, misaligned values, and ineffective reward systems. The report also highlights concerns over rigid return-to-office policies and AI’s impact on employees. It calls for people-focused strategies to improve employee engagement and drive business success.
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25% of employees say work negatively impacts their wellbeing: Survey
Despite progress in areas like pay, flexibility, and supportive management, work continues to harm employee wellbeing across the UK, reveals CIPD’s 2025 Good Work Index. Based on a survey of 5,000 workers, the findings highlight a persistent health and retention crisis linked to poor job design, excessive workloads, and inadequate line management support.
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BlackRock to cut 300 jobs
BlackRock is laying off roughly 300 employees, over 1% of its staff, in its second round of job cuts this year, even after expanding headcount by 14% through major acquisitions. The decision reflects a broader Wall Street push to control labour costs while accelerating growth in private markets.
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Amazon cuts jobs in its books division
Amazon has cut fewer than 100 jobs in its books division, including at Goodreads and Kindle, to improve efficiency and align with its business roadmap. This move is part of CEO Andy Jassy’s broader effort to reduce bureaucracy across the company while continuing to add jobs in other areas. The cuts highlight the need for workforce adaptability amid ongoing corporate restructuring.
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Alphabet to continue hiring Engineers despite AI advances, says Sundar Pichai
Google CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed plans to grow the company’s engineering workforce through 2026, contrasting with major tech firms that are cutting jobs amid AI investments. He emphasised AI as a tool to enhance engineer productivity, not replace jobs, and highlighted growth opportunities in autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, and YouTube’s expansion. This approach marks a shift toward investing in human talent despite recent layoffs at Alphabet.
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Africa’s industrial moment hinges on job creation
Africa is on the brink of industrial transformation, but success hinges on closing key workforce gaps. The UNIDO Africa Industrial Development Report stresses urgent reforms in clean energy access, job creation, and industrial infrastructure. With youth unemployment rising and decent jobs lagging behind growth, the report calls for private sector inclusion, coordinated policy delivery, and stronger digital governance to convert potential into employment-driven progress.
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Procter & Gamble to slash 7,000 jobs over the next two years
Procter & Gamble will cut 7,000 jobs, about 15% of its non-manufacturing workforce, over two years as part of a global restructuring plan aimed at countering weak consumer demand and rising costs from tariff-related uncertainty. The move will streamline operations by reducing team sizes, broadening roles, and possibly exiting select markets and product categories. Executives cited growing geopolitical and economic unpredictability, noting that the changes are an acceleration of ongoing efforts to stay competitive in a challenging business environment.
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UAE workforce leads the Arab region in AI skills, report find
UAE employees are leading the Arab world in AI and digital skills, with a 344% surge in Gen AI course enrolments and 13% of the workforce actively upskilling on Coursera, the highest in the region. With 87% of employers prioritising tech skills and 72% reporting skill gaps, the focus is now on developing future-ready talent across AI, cybersecurity, and leadership.
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UAE rolls out upgraded work permit system to streamline overseas hiring
The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has launched an upgraded digital platform to streamline work permit applications for hiring foreign workers. Available via the ministry’s website and mobile app, the AI-supported system simplifies the process through integrated services, faster document verification, and reduced manual steps, especially for mobile users. The move aims to enhance recruitment efficiency and workforce compliance.
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Amazon adds over 90,000 jobs in high-unemployment areas across Europe: Report
Amazon contributed over €41 billion to Europe’s GDP in 2024 and directly employed 150,000 people across the EU, with over 90,000 roles based in high-unemployment regions. Its investments, over €55 billion in European infrastructure and workforce last year, are creating jobs where they’re needed most. In France’s Hauts-de-France region alone, Amazon has added 6,000 jobs, with 94% of locals citing job creation as a key benefit. Looking ahead, major investments in cloud infrastructure across Germany, the UK, and France are set to support thousands more jobs and drive long-term workforce development.
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Alight appoints Donna Dorsey as Chief Human Resources Officer
Donna Dorsey joins Alight as CHRO from International Motors, where she was leading HR initiatives as Executive Vice President and Chief People and Culture Officer. In her new role, she will lead Alight’s global people strategy, focusing on talent development, organisational effectiveness, company culture, and employee experiences and looks forward to creating a workplace where all employees can successfully drive business results.
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Oman needs to create 220,000 new jobs by 2032
Oman needs to create over 220,000 jobs by 2032 to meet workforce demands, says the IMF. With many nationals entering working age, reliance on public sector jobs is no longer sustainable. Private sector roles are mostly filled by expatriates due to wage gaps and skill mismatches. Low female participation and education misalignment add to challenges. The IMF urges stronger vocational training, gender inclusion, and wage reforms to boost national employment in the private sector.
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Mohammed Al Ahmari joins Tawazun Planning for Management Consulting as CEO
Mohammed Al Ahmari’s role as CEO at Tawazun Planning for Management Consulting has been effective since February 2025. In this role, he is committed to reinforcing the company’s focus on talent management, organisational excellence, and workforce readiness, as businesses navigate an evolving economic and operational landscape. Throughout his career, he has led significant HR and organisational change projects that prepare employees for future operational demands.
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Nearly 70% of UAE Gen-Z struggle to communicate with older colleagues: Survey
A recent Korn Ferry study reveals that nearly 70% of Gen-Z employees in the UAE struggle to communicate with older colleagues, highlighting a generational gap driven by Gen-Z’s digital communication style and the lasting mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While older generations may not see this as an issue, the disconnect creates challenges in workplaces reliant on traditional interaction methods. Gen-Z’s growing workforce presence and openness about mental health are pushing organisations to adapt communication and support strategies to better address these needs.
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Sharjah approves 400 new government jobs for Emirati citizens
Sharjah has approved 400 new government jobs for Emirati citizens, with hiring to begin after Eid al-Adha. Priority will be given to graduates trained under government HR programmes. Additionally, AED 55.8 million has been allocated to Sharjah’s job seeker training initiative, which currently supports 1,520 participants and runs through the end of 2025. The move reflects Sharjah’s continued focus on national workforce development and strategic Emiratisation.
