AGP Executive Report

Employment Services & Skills Support: Malaysia’s PERKESO is running a TVET Career Carnival for National TVET Day 2026, offering CV checks, personality/interest tests, and industry sessions tied to 2,900 vacancies from 28 employers via MyFutureJobs. Job Fairs & Youth Hiring: Nagaland’s Don Bosco Job Fair Kohima 2026 drew 500+ job seekers and 25+ companies across sectors, with the governor urging coordinated action to tackle youth unemployment. Women’s Work & Transport Access: Telangana Police launched “Stree Ride” to train women as bike, auto and cab drivers, linking them to employers to boost safety and economic independence. Workplace Rules & Compliance: Kuwait’s MoSA ordered cooperative societies to enforce daily fingerprint attendance (arrival/presence/departure) and to hire young Kuwaitis during summer for skills and experience. Labor Market Signals: Canada reported a surprise May employment jump (+87,800) with unemployment falling to 6.6%, while Greater Sudbury added 900 full-time jobs but lost 600 part-time roles. Employment Law & Rights: New Zealand’s Employment Relations Authority ordered the CAA to reinstate a sacked crash investigator, highlighting ongoing workplace fairness scrutiny. Youth Unemployment Pressure: A Bangladesh commentary warns that youth unemployment costs are rising as graduates struggle to convert education into decent jobs.

U.S. Hiring Update: Employers added 172,000 jobs in May and unemployment held at 4.3%, signaling a resilient job market even as many Americans stay frustrated by prospects and prices. AI & Work Rules: The EEOC moved to axe EEO-1 reporting and replaced its strategic enforcement plan with a more Trump-friendly approach, while separate reporting highlights how AI is reshaping worker classification and hiring screening. Graduate Jobs Push (China): China is urging state firms and major tech companies to expand hiring for the class of 2026, using centralized job portals and livestream recruitment to cut youth unemployment. Employment Policy Watch: Lawmakers and agencies are also facing scrutiny over employment verification, AI notice requirements, and employment-law compliance as hiring tech spreads. Career Pathways: Schools and training programs continue to expand career-focused pipelines, from apprenticeships and micro-credentials to career centers aimed at getting students into work faster.

U.S. Jobs Report: Employers added 172,000 jobs in May and unemployment held at 4.3%, beating forecasts and showing broad hiring across local government, restaurants/bars, and healthcare—good news for job seekers, but a headache for rate-cut hopes. Fed Watch: Strong payroll gains and upward revisions to March and April may keep the Federal Reserve cautious on cutting interest rates. Global Markets: Wall Street rallied as oil prices eased and bond yields calmed, with investors betting on possible relief for energy costs. Immigration & Work Permits: A federal judge struck down a Trump administration policy affecting asylum and work-permit decisions for immigrants from dozens of countries, calling it “legal limbo.” Hiring Tech & Scams: Indeed pushed an “employers need people” message amid frustration with sponsored applications and silence; meanwhile, a U.S. AG warned students about employment scams and fake work-from-home listings. Local Labor Signals: Canada’s unemployment fell to 6.6% as hiring jumped, while Ventura County warned that aging and housing costs are pushing younger residents out. Workplace Safety: Oklahoma City ranked 14th for safety staffing density, highlighting growing demand for workplace safety managers.

Unemployment Watch: U.S. jobless aid claims rose to 225,000 for the week ending May 30, the highest in four months, even as layoffs stay historically low—signaling a “low-hire, low-fire” market where finding work remains hard. Pay & Rights: A South Africa labor-law explainer warns employers can’t delay or short-pay wages beyond required timelines, urging workers to raise grievances first and escalate to CCMA if needed. Second-Job Strain in Healthcare: A nurse-focused report highlights how many clinicians take on extra shifts to make ends meet, with pay cuts and limited negotiation power pushing burnout risk. AI Skills for Careers: A tech-sales career transition story argues AI is reshaping roles, but sales still needs human trust and relationship skills—so workers should build “AI-native” capabilities. Workforce Programs: The Philippines’ DOLE deployed 10,445 TUPAD workers to 198 schools in Eastern Visayas for 10 days of paid maintenance ahead of classes. Education-to-Work Pipeline: A U.S. district announced new career and technical education facilities opening in August, aiming to expand hands-on training for in-demand fields.

Workforce & Hiring Policy: Chip Roy’s new bill targets the H-1B system, calling for an end to the lottery and for replacing it with a merit-based approach, plus pressure to end OPT—framing it as a way to prioritize American white-collar workers. AI & Employment Screening: A new set of rulings against Workday offer plaintiffs a fresh path as AI-based hiring screening spreads. Education-to-Work Pipelines: Saskatchewan’s Sask DLC is expanding hands-on oil and gas courses for high school students, mixing online theory with industry work placements. Disability Career Support: Florida’s Able Trust awarded RISE scholarships to 34 students with disabilities to fund tuition at state colleges and technical schools. Job Search Practicalities: A local employment service warns job seekers to match application method to employer size and industry—online for high-volume systems, in-person only when it actually helps. Health Coverage Work Requirements: Minnesota faces coverage concerns as federal Medicaid work rules tighten, with advocates warning more people could lose benefits. Local Job Fair: Kentucky Career Center schedules a June 9 job fair in Paducah with multiple employers hiring across trades, logistics, healthcare, and more.

Employment Gaps: Biotech recruiters say a year+ out of work is a red flag, urging candidates to explain what they did to stay sharp. Labour Policy: India’s PMK leader blasted a cut to Tamil Nadu’s 125-day rural jobs allocation under a new wage guarantee scheme. Job Market Signals: US private-sector hiring beat expectations in May, with small businesses adding most jobs. Workforce Training: Amazon’s Career Choice is expanding at Bossier Parish Community College, offering an Industrial Technician certificate for fulfillment workers. Hiring Access: Davao employers were told to file 2025 wage reports by Aug. 31, tightening compliance on wages. Youth Pathways: UK data shows NEET rates rising to a 12-year high, adding pressure on entry routes. Leadership Under Pressure: A NASA mission leader argues workplace dysfunction is often a nervous-system issue, not a strategy problem. Career Advice: Experts say “how long is too long” for gaps is usually 12 months—plan your story early.

Youth Employment & Training: Iowa reports nearly 70% of high schoolers took part in CTE in 2024-25, totaling 107,000 students and 37,000 “concentrators,” as the state pushes credentials and work-based learning. Workforce Grants: Wisconsin Fast Forward funding will send more than $2.4M in training grants to 17 employers, including $388K for Linamar to train 110 workers and build internal career pathways. Inclusive Hiring: Yandex Lavka is expanding jobs for hearing-impaired workers in Uzbekistan by adapting recruitment, training, and workplace communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing warehouse staff. Education-to-Work Pipelines: Naval Air Station Oceana marked its fifth Project SEARCH graduating class, pairing students with intellectual and developmental disabilities with a 10-month, hands-on career curriculum across base departments. Local Career Support: A Ghana proposal for “3D Growth” ties economic progress to GDP plus jobs and wage growth—aiming to better reflect what young workers experience. Application Deadline: Upriver Scholarship Program applications close Friday, June 5, for seven $4,000 awards covering degrees, certifications, and trade training. Policy & Jobs Push: Karnataka’s new CM DK Shivakumar announced free student bus passes and a private employment exchange to match job seekers with employers, alongside a large government hiring recruitment drive.

Youth Employment & Skills: Zimbabwe’s Cabinet approved a National Youth Policy (2026–2030) targeting barriers to education, employment and wellbeing, with special focus on NEETs, young women, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Hiring & Labor Market Signals: The US added 7.6 million job openings in April, up from 6.9 million in March, while hiring stayed cautious as layoffs eased but quits also fell. Work Authorization Pressure: Iranian Ph.D. students say a new US policy memo has put employment-related benefits in limbo, leaving lives “on hold” pending extra security review. Local Job Support Funding: The Persimmon Charitable Foundation launched a second £150,000 funding round for charities helping 14–25-year-olds into employment, awarding three grants of £50,000. Employer Accountability: New Zealand’s Employment Relations Authority ordered a company to repay a migrant worker nearly $45,000 after charging premiums for a job and visa pathway. Internship Pipeline: Michigan’s EGLE won a university award for its paid internship program after transitioning from unpaid roles in 2025.

Employment Scams: The BBB says employment fraud is surging, with nearly 50,000 scam reports since 2023 and a new “task-based” twist where scammers pay victims to “like” and “subscribe” to videos—often with no interview, high-pressure offers, and requests for money to “unlock” pay. Hiring Signals: U.S. job openings jumped by 731,000 to 7.618 million in April, but hiring still cooled and resignations fell to the lowest level in nearly six years, suggesting uncertainty is keeping employers in “slow-hire” mode. AI at Work: New research finds employee anxiety about AI is rising fast, pushing leaders to balance innovation with a better employee experience. Workforce Programs: Ghana’s Youth Employment Agency is consulting on a Domestic Services Module to formalize training and certification for household work. Career Pathways: Coe College won FAA authorization for an accelerated Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot route, cutting required flight hours and speeding entry into airline careers.

Education-to-jobs pipeline: Qatar’s Education Ministry is rolling out an Academic Bridging Program letting humanities-track secondary graduates switch into science and technical university paths under government scholarships. Teacher workforce reform: Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission is proposing faster, more automatic promotions for teachers, aiming to cut decades-long career stagnation and shorten routes to senior roles. Job scams surge: The BBB Scam Tracker says employment fraud is rising fast, with “task-based” schemes (like “like” and “subscribe” video offers) driving thousands of reports and median losses around $1,000. Youth employment pressure: South Africa’s labor minister warns of a “missing jobs crisis” for young people even as unemployment improves slightly, with many still stuck in precarious work. Skills and training access: Arts University Bournemouth launches “Access 500,” offering 500 free learning opportunities over five years for people locked out of education or training. Career value debate: A UK survey finds confidence in university payoffs is falling, with more people saying degrees aren’t worth the time and cost.

Youth Employment Push (UK): The UK government is rolling out 300,000 new work experience and training placements, aiming to move young people into sustained work through sector programs backed by major employers. Remote Work Hiring Gap (US): New Fed research links higher unemployment for recent college grads to remote-work reluctance, saying it’s harder to train and mentor newcomers outside the office. AI & Jobs (Australia): Monash research finds AI hasn’t yet shown wage impacts for the most exposed roles, even as AI-related equipment spending surges. Workplace Safety Oversight: A new analysis maps where workplace safety managers carry the heaviest oversight burden relative to staffing. Labor Market Signals (US): US manufacturing hit its strongest pace in four years, with improvements in orders, output, and stabilization in factory employment conditions. Career Pathways (CTE): US school districts highlight hands-on career and technical education wins, with students earning industry certifications and launching into IT, healthcare, and skilled trades. Recruitment & Fairness (Diplomacy): Cambodia’s foreign ministry says a merit-based, ethics-and-language focused civil service selection is producing more qualified diplomats. Employment Discrimination (US): A former Walmart worker alleges sex discrimination and retaliation after reporting wrongdoing by female managers. AI IPO Watch: Anthropic filed for a public stock sale, underscoring how AI firms are raising capital as they scale.

Workplace transparency: UK ministers released a massive batch of documents tied to Lord Mandelson’s controversial Washington appointment, with officials calling the disclosure “unprecedented.” Hiring stress: A laid-off Amazon veteran says his tech job hunt has dragged on for eight months, with fewer interviews even after tailoring resumes. Skills vs. matching: A new take on hiring argues employers should focus on employability and lifelong learning, not just filling today’s roles. Labor rights in court: South Korea’s court backed a doctor’s wrongful dismissal claim, saying the employer used the wrong stated reason. Pay equity ruling: An employment tribunal found a UK coach company discriminated on equal pay, citing unclear pay rules for driving and on-call work. Career pathways: New Zealand’s RNZAF honors a long-serving pilot with an Order of Merit, while New Jersey vocational schools highlight adult-friendly training and apprenticeships. Youth-to-work focus: Northern Ireland’s SkillBuild NI competition spotlights construction apprenticeships, and a US-style allied health scholarship push targets lab and imaging careers. Jobs and growth: A major housing project in Lerwick begins, advertising “fantastic” construction jobs for trades.

AI & Jobs: Apollo’s chief economist says there’s “zero evidence” AI is causing job losses, pointing instead to hiring for AI skills and a payroll boost in April. Youth Employment Warning: A UK review warns of a “lost generation” as NEETs top one million and could reach 1.25 million without action. Healthcare Staffing Crisis: Ireland’s HSE is urged to recruit earlier by targeting teenagers in schools to tackle worsening healthcare shortages. Workplace Rules (US): New state laws coming into force in June expand leave and worker protections in Illinois, Oregon and Washington, adding compliance burdens for employers. Labor Enforcement (Philippines): Lawmakers back DOLE plans to hire more labor inspectors and partner with TESDA to train them, citing too few inspectors actively checking workplaces. Job Scams: BBB and FTC warnings highlight rising job and work-from-home scams, with fraudsters using fast “hiring” and fake checks. Career Pathways (Local): A mentorship program in Azerbaijan uses skills plans and SWOT reviews to support emerging leaders’ professional growth.

Workforce & jobs: A World Bank-backed programme in Jordan says it created 61,000+ job opportunities, using wage subsidies and on-the-job training, with women and young people the biggest beneficiaries. Immigration & pay transparency: Delaware officials moved to comply after a court ordered the state to release employment records tied to ICE subpoenas, raising fresh debate over access to wage data and targeting of immigrant communities. Return-to-work support: Afghanistan’s Labor Ministry says 15,000–20,000 returnees have landed jobs in the past two years, with 176,000 registered for employment help. AI & the future of work: A World Economic Forum projection cited at a Bulgaria career forum warns 170 million new jobs could be created even as 92 million disappear, pushing workers toward faster learning and tech adaptation. Career development & education: The same forum highlighted alumni networks, internships, and skills pathways as practical career accelerators, while a longevity panel stressed that personal health protocols should be grounded in science. Talent & career pivots: In entertainment, Kristin Villanueva said she wants to move into producing, while Jermaine Jenas talked about rebuilding after a sexting scandal derailed his TV career.

Manufacturing & jobs: India’s DPIIT says the BHAVYA scheme will build “investment-ready” industrial parks aimed at faster investor takeoff, manufacturing activity, employment and export competitiveness. Youth employment pressure: Belgium reports nearly 30% fewer people receiving unemployment benefits in April, tied to tighter entitlement rules, with the biggest drops among younger and older groups. Pathways for young men: Michigan’s Men in Motion Summit brought partners together to boost postsecondary access and workforce success for men—especially men of color, rural men and adult learners. Graduate job anxiety: Coverage highlights how new grads face fewer entry-level roles and more competition, with some pointing to structured career ladders like the U.S. Army ROTC as a guaranteed path. Career-connected learning: Michigan’s Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program recognized students for interview, communication and teamwork skills at a statewide conference. Workplace realities abroad: A Kenyan DJ/bank manager story shows how people juggle multiple careers to survive and grow overseas. Employment disputes: In Guyana, opposition claims workers tied to EKAA HRIM were stranded and harmed by safety and humanitarian failures, while the labor ministry says disputes were resolved. Skills pipeline: Michigan Career Tech students earned spots for SkillsUSA nationals after state gold medals.

Labor Market Watch: Cyprus says unemployment fell to 4% in Q1 2026 (down from 5% a year earlier), with about 5,000 fewer people unemployed and employment rising by ~17,000 over the year—though youth (15–24) unemployment climbed to 13.1%. Hiring & Skills: Vermont’s Trailblazers program is taking applications for a July 21–Sept. 3 workforce/trades training track for women and gender-expansive young adults, with OSHA 10, paid internships, and no prior experience required. Workplace Inclusion: Save the Children’s “Dots to Dream” project in Thailand spotlights inclusive hiring for visually impaired youth, pushing employers toward explicit, policy-aligned inclusion. Government & Work Policy: Philippines’ DOLE ends its compressed four-day workweek and returns to a five-day schedule June 1, while New Jersey appoints Lisa Montalbano as Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Ombudsman to help residents access state supports. AI & Legal Jobs: A report says 92% of legal professionals now use AI in some capacity, with many reporting higher workloads but more time on strategic work. Job Scams: New data highlights a spike in job scams targeting online workers. Side Hustles: Surveys find roughly 28–35% of Americans now have side hustles, often to cover bills and build a safety cushion.