Core Insights - The unemployment rate in the Philippines decreased to 3.8% in September, marking a 0.1 percentage point decline from August, and representing the second consecutive month of decline [1] - The number of unemployed individuals fell to 1.96 million, a reduction of 70,000 from August [1] - The labor force participation rate dropped to 64.5%, down from 65.1% in August and 65.7% year-on-year, indicating a weakening in labor market activity [1] Employment Sector Analysis - The services sector remains the largest employer in the Philippines, with 30.4 million jobs, accounting for 61.3% of total employment [1] - Agriculture and industry represent 20.9% and 17.8% of total employment, respectively [1] - Notable year-on-year employment growth was observed in construction, fisheries, aquaculture, and accommodation and food services [1] - Month-on-month, significant employment increases were seen in education, agriculture and forestry, as well as mining and quarrying [1] Employment Quality - The underemployment rate in the Philippines rose to 11.1% in September, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from August, indicating that workers are seeking more hours or better job opportunities [1] - The youth unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 to 24 slightly decreased to 11.6%, down 0.1 percentage points from August, suggesting continued improvement in employment conditions for the youth demographic [2]

Group 1 - The average annual salary for employees and part-time workers in Japan's private sector increased by 3.9% year-on-year in 2024, reaching 4.78 million yen (approximately 228,100 RMB), marking the highest record since 1949 [2][4] - This marks the fourth consecutive year of salary growth, primarily driven by labor shortages and minimum wage increases [4] - The average salary for male employees rose by 3.2% to 5.87 million yen (approximately 280,100 RMB), while female employees saw a 5.5% increase to 3.33 million yen (approximately 158,900 RMB) [4] Group 2 - The average salary for formal employees is 5.45 million yen, which is about 2.6 times higher than that of non-formal employees at 2.06 million yen [4] - The average bonus in salaries increased to 750,000 yen, a 4.5% year-on-year growth, reaching the highest level in the past decade [4] - By industry, the "Electricity, Gas, Heat Supply, and Water Supply" sector leads with an average salary of 8.32 million yen (approximately 396,900 RMB), followed by "Finance and Insurance" at 7.02 million yen (approximately 335,000 RMB), and "Information and Communication" at 6.60 million yen (approximately 314,900 RMB) [5] Group 3 - The lowest average salary is found in the "Accommodation and Food Services" sector at 2.79 million yen (approximately 133,100 RMB) [5] - The source withholding tax amount was 11.1834 trillion yen, a decrease of 822.7 billion yen from the previous year, attributed to the fixed tax reduction policy implemented in 2024 [5] - The survey aimed to estimate tax revenue and was based on feedback from approximately 280,000 salary earners across 27,179 companies nationwide [5]

Core Insights - Dubai's GDP grew by 4% year-on-year in Q1 2025, reaching 119.7 billion dirhams (approximately 32.79 billion USD), indicating the resilience and vitality of the economy [1] Economic Performance by Sector - The healthcare and social work sector experienced the fastest growth at 26%, contributing 1.5% to GDP [1] - The real estate sector followed with a growth rate of 7.8%, accounting for 7.5% of GDP [1] - Wholesale and retail trade remains the largest single contributor to Dubai's economy, with a GDP share of 23% and a year-on-year growth of 4.5% [1] - The financial and insurance sector contributed 13.4% to GDP, growing by 5.9% [1] - The transportation and warehousing sector accounted for 13% of GDP, with a growth of 2% [1] - The manufacturing sector represented 7.3% of GDP, growing by 3.3% [1] - The information and telecommunications sector contributed 4.4% to GDP, with a growth rate of 3.2% [1] - The accommodation and food services sector accounted for 4.1% of GDP, growing by 3.4% [1] - Other activities made up 26% of GDP, with a year-on-year growth of 1.9% [1]

Economic Performance - In the first quarter of 2025, Dubai's GDP reached 119.7 billion dirhams, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 4% [2] - The growth demonstrates the resilience and vitality of Dubai's economy [2] Sector Contributions - The real estate sector experienced a significant growth of 7.8% [2] - The financial and insurance sector grew by 5.9% [2] - The wholesale and retail trade sector saw an increase of 4.5% [2] - The information and telecommunications sector grew by 3.2% [2] - The accommodation and food services sector increased by 3.4% [2] - The manufacturing sector grew by 3.3% [2] - The transportation and warehousing sector experienced a growth of 2% [2]

Core Insights - The number of job vacancies in the U.S. decreased to 7.44 million in June, down from a revised 7.71 million in May, indicating a fluctuation in labor demand [1] Industry Impact - The decline in job vacancies was widespread, primarily affecting the accommodation and food services, healthcare, and finance and insurance sectors [1] - The report supports the notion of a cooling labor market, although the decline is gradual [1] Labor Market Conditions - Despite the decrease, job vacancies remain above pre-pandemic average levels, suggesting a relatively healthy demand for workers [1] - Recruitment has slowed down, and unemployed individuals are taking longer to find new jobs [1]

Core Insights - The unemployment rate in the Philippines rose to 4.1% in April, marking the second consecutive month of increase, with the number of unemployed reaching 2.06 million [1] - The unemployment rates for February and March were 3.8% and 3.9%, respectively, indicating a month-over-month increase and a year-over-year rise of 0.1 percentage points [1] - The number of unemployed increased by 130,000 from March to April [1] Employment Sector Analysis - The services sector remains the largest employer in the Philippines, with 30.12 million jobs, accounting for 61.9% of total employment [1] - Agriculture and industry represent 20.6% and 17.5% of total employment, respectively [1] - From January to April, employment in agriculture, accommodation and food services, and transportation and warehousing saw a significant decline, while administrative and support services, construction, and fisheries experienced job growth [1] Employment Quality and Youth Participation - The underemployment rate in April rose to 14.6%, up from 13.4% in March, indicating that 7.09 million workers are seeking more hours or better job opportunities [1] - The labor force participation rate for the 15 to 24 age group increased from 29.4% to 31.8%, suggesting more youth are entering the labor market [1] - However, the unemployment rate for this age group also increased from 11.0% to 11.5%, reflecting heightened employment pressure among young individuals [1]

Group 1 - The unemployment rate in the Philippines for March is reported at 3.9%, a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous month [1] - The labor force participation rate decreased to 62.9%, down 2.4 percentage points year-on-year and lower than 64.5% in February [1] - The total labor force dropped to 49.96 million from 51.15 million a year ago and 51.09 million in February, indicating a weakening labor market [1] Group 2 - The employed population in March decreased to 48.02 million, lower than 49.15 million in both the previous year and February [1] - The number of unemployed individuals in March was 1.93 million, a decrease of 70,000 from the previous year and slightly lower than 1.94 million in February [1] - The services sector accounted for the majority of employment, with 29.77 million jobs, representing 62.0% of total employment [1] Group 3 - The underemployment rate rose to 13.4% in March, up from 11.0% a year ago and 10.1% in February, indicating that 6.44 million workers are seeking more hours or better job opportunities [2] - The labor force participation rate for the 15 to 24 age group fell to 29.4% from 33.3% a year ago, while the unemployment rate for this group increased from 8.7% to 11.0%, highlighting increased pressure on youth employment [2]

Group 1: Trade Negotiations - The U.S. has refused to grant Japan a full exemption from "reciprocal tariffs" during recent trade negotiations, with only a consideration to lower specific tariffs by 14% [1][3] - India has proposed zero tariffs on certain quantities of steel, auto parts, and pharmaceuticals in trade talks with the U.S., aiming to expedite a bilateral trade agreement expected to be reached by fall [1][3] Group 2: Economic Data - The ISM reported that the U.S. services PMI for April was 51.6, indicating a return to expansion and significantly above the expected 50.2, following a previous value of 50.8 [5][6] - In April, 11 industries reported growth, with hospitality, wholesale trade, mining, and real estate performing the best, while 6 industries contracted [6] Group 3: Market Reactions - Following the positive services data, U.S. stock indices narrowed their losses, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising by 0.14% and the Nasdaq's decline reducing to 0.45% [8][9] - U.S. Treasury yields increased, with the 10-year yield rising close to 4.35% and the 2-year yield reaching a daily high of 3.8467% [9][10] Group 4: Inflation and Employment Indicators - The services employment index for April was recorded at 49, indicating a slowdown in employment but an improvement from the previous value of 46.2 [7] - The services price index reached 65.1, significantly above the expected 61.4, indicating rising inflationary pressures due to tariffs [6][7]