Archives September 2007

Surprise results show US labor market firm

THE number of US workers filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell to a four-month low, helping to allay concerns about a weakening labor market.

Initial jobless claims declined by 15,000 to 298,000 in the week that ended Saturday, from a revised 313,000 a week earlier, the Labor Department said yesterday in Washington. The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, dropped to 311,500 from 321,250.

Companies are holding on to employees, even while limiting hiring plans, as they wait to see whether the effects of rising mortgage defaults spread to other parts of the economy. Labor market health is closely linked to the outlook for consumer spending and confidence, which show signs of flagging.

“Labor market conditions overall are not deteriorating and remain pretty steady,” said Julia Coronado, a senior US economist at Barclays Capital Inc in New York, before the report. “So far we’re not seeing the losses spread beyond housing and finance.”

Fastest growth

Another government report showed the US economy grew in the second quarter at the fastest pace in more than a year before last month’s credit-market turmoil heightened concern the expansion might be cut short.

Gross domestic product rose at a revised 3.8 percent annual rate from April though to June, propelled by a surge in exports, figures from the Commerce Department showed in Washington. The economy advanced at a 0.6-percent rate in the first quarter.

After the reports, the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note yielded 4.61 percent, down one basis point from Wednesday.

Economists had forecast claims would rise to 316,000, from a previously reported 311,000 for the prior week, according to the median of 40 projections in a Bloomberg News survey. Estimates ranged from 305,000 to 330,000. Last week’s claims were the lowest since the week ended May 12.

The number of people continuing to collect state unemployment benefits rose to 2.551 million in the week that ended September 15. The prior week’s 2.540 million was the lowest since July 21.

Last month’s payrolls report unexpectedly showed a loss of 4,000 jobs, the first decline in four years.

The unemployment rate among people eligible to collect state jobless benefits, which tends to track the national unemployment rate, held at 1.9 percent in the week ended September 15.

Methane JVs lure foreigners

CHINA has issued new rules to allow more companies to cooperate with foreign partners to explore for methane trapped in coal seams to boost energy output.

Companies designated by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, will be allowed to set up the ventures with foreign businesses, according to a revised regulation posted on the Chinese government’s Website yesterday. China United Coalbed Methane Corp used to be the only company allowed to enter such ventures based on a 2001 regulation.

The central government aims to boost the share of its energy produced from natural gas to 5.3 percent by 2010 from about three percent now to cut pollution and reduce reliance on coal and oil, Bloomberg News reported. China has 10 trillion cubic meters of extractable coal-bed methane reserves, according to the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation’s top economic planner.

Asia American Gas Inc and China United Coalbed Methane won government approval to produce 500 million cubic meters of the fuel annually in northern China’s Shanxi Province.

Plant Manager (China QingDao)

Job Description:
Company introduction: Part of a Holding company, this international manufacturing and sourcing enterprise with around 400 employees up to date with large growth, is a part of a very successful entrepreneurial group that manufactures and markets a host of logistics and handling products. They are looking for highly qualitative, responsible, experienced and honest candidates that can accompany and develop their expansion and join their driven, fast growing and professional team. Rewarding career opportunities! Positions available:
Report To: CEO
Location: Qingdao

Responsibilities:
This is a highly exciting opportunity to play a vital and visible role in the development of the China operations of our company, that will become leading logistics & handling manufacturer in the world, we are strongly committed to the continued growth in the China region, and committed to the development of all its staff, and a rewarding career is on offer to the strongest of candidates.
1.Ensure customer’s orders and company products are produced and delivered in accordance with planned schedules, job specifications, established quality standards and planned growth and profit objectives;
2.Monitor overall plant performance and ensure all maintenance and capital assets are being maintained and utilized effectively. Lead operation and performance improvement initiatives;
3. Lead performance improvement initiatives and increase effectiveness and profitability of the operation;
4. Take a leading role in the development of the company’s strategic plans and budget and implement manufacturing and plant management portion;
5. Monitor plant activities, trouble shoot and resolve unusual problems related to equipment, tooling, material and production processes to ensure meeting planned production and product quality standards are maintained;
6. Ensure the plant’s conformance with all government, and environmental regulations, and nurse relationships with authorities in the local community.

Requirements:
1. University degree in Engineering or Manufacturing Management;
2. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to manage internal and external relationships.
3. Fluency in English and Mandarin is expected;
4. 10-12 years work experience manufacturing high quality industrial products, with at least 5 years managing a plant in China;
5. Recent experience will have focused on the overall operation and performance improvement of all plant functions including quality control, logistics, facilities management, administration, production and planning;
6. While able to work independently and lead the management team of a large manufacturing operation, the individual must also be able to view macro business issues and play a leading role as a senior manager in the Group’s growth;
7. Flexible and adaptive, the successful candidate will understand business cycles and will be able to structure business and operation activities meet changes.
8. Willing to work on the floor and take a hands-on role in the day to day monitoring of operations when necessary;
9. Experienced with management by walking around, the person will be detail and results driven.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eo120qd#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Plant Manager – a global, diversified company

Company introduction:
Our client is a global, diversified company that provides vital products and services to customers in manufactory. This history and experience has enabled our client to build a vast support structure, which includes technologies, human and physical resources and most importantly to have an intimate knowledge of various industry processes. Our client is a major provider of products and services to most of the regions water, industrial process and infrastructure projects. The company works in close relationships, partnerships and alliances with the majority of the regions major companies to create ongoing value to the customers process. The employs are approximately 260,000 people worldwide..

Report To:GM
Location: Shanghai

Responsibilities:
1.This position will be in charge of all plant functions such as production, quality, sourcing, engineering, warehouse, facility maintenance and EHS;
2.Drive operational excellence to improve quality, reduce the cost and ensure on-time delivery;
3.Review plant manpower requirements and balance efficiency to meet internal and external requirements;
4.Ensure the plant performance meets the requirements of the customer by improving production procedures, EHS performance, product process, and people management.
5.Control and reduce manufacturing cost while improving quality by training programs, cross training of operators, process improvement, etc.
6.Contribute to the overall company performance by active participation as part of the management team by daily communication with management, customers & suppliers and other departments;
7.Bring 5S into effective and monitor daily performance of workshop
8.The effective control of all costs involved in the processes of the Shanghai Operation, the objective being to establish challenging targets and then exceed them.
9.The job holder will be considered a key member of the Senior Executive Team in Shanghai and will be expected to contribute to the development of the overall business plan.
10.Build up a strong team of the plant by coaching and developing all staffs.

Requirements:
1. Bachelor degree above, majored in Mechanical, Engineering or relevant
2. At least 10 years of manufacturing experience including minimum 5 years in a managerial position in foreign manufacturing company, valve production experience will be a plus.
3. Professional leadership with strong business sense, teamwork and good communication skills.
4. Knowledge of Lean Production/6Sigma and ERP system. Knowledge in casting, machining and coating is preferred
5. Have a strong financial awareness, will be computer literate with experience in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and well developed presentation skills.
6. Strong leadership and inter-personal skills with ability to work through all levels of organization, internal and external.
7. Be able to work under pressure, self-motivated and have positive attitude as well as good team spirit.
8. Strong sense of responsibility, highly initiative and flexible, mature, independent, good interpersonal and communication skills
9. Strong analytical, organizational and panning skill required.
10. Good command of English both spoken and written.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eo121sh#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Cisco joins Haier in home networks

CISCO Systems Inc announced yesterday a partnership with Haier Group to explore home network markets in China, relatively new territory for both companies.

Cisco’s cooperation with Haier, China’s largest appliance manufacturer, helps them to expand consumer business, and Haier aims to profit from the growing integration of the Internet with home entertainment, industry insiders said.

Under the terms of the cooperation, Cisco and Haier announced their intention to explore sharing practices in group management and processes, financial management and controls, strategic investments and capitalization cooperation, construction of information infrastructure and home networking systems, Cisco said in a statement.

Qingdao-based Haier, with a global revenue of 107.5 billion yuan (US$14.3 billion) last year and 50,000 employees, is expanding its brand in international markets and the partnership with Cisco will help that.

Haier is also a large Cisco customer in China, and uses Cisco’s network equipment.

“We are a market leader in China, but are working to establish a strong brand presence in overseas markets. We believe it is necessary to take advantage of Cisco’s business practices as a model for efficient international expansion,” said Zhang Ruimin, Haier’s chief executive.

China’s digital TV market revenue is expected to hit 150 billion yuan in 2007, 19 percent of the global market size, according to Gartner Inc, an IT research firm.

Engineers have lost their shine for youth

ENGINEERING, once a highly rated job in China, has lost its appeal for young Chinese, Xu Kuangdi, the ex-mayor of Shanghai and President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said yesterday.

Xu said this in his opening remarks to a forum in Shanghai to promote the reform and development of engineering education in China.

“The profession of an engineer is far less reputable today than it was in the 1950s,” said Xu, who was the city mayor from 1995 to 2001.

He said most Chinese university students now hoped to make a lot of money by working for banks or scrambling to become Masters of Business Administration.

Xu said the hardships involved in becoming an engineer has also led to the decline – people who wanted to be engineers had to begin in workshops instead of sitting in offices.

Engineering has a special status in China where many of its leaders have had a background in engineering.

However the number of qualified engineers is failing to meet the demands of the country’s rapid economic growth.

According to a 2004 statistic, engineers only accounted for four percent of the overall staff in Chinese businesses.

Intern hunt goes ahead

ONE of China’s leading Web-based headhunters, 51job.com, has launched its 2008 nationwide internship program to provide more than 1,600 internship positions for university students.

Students will be given work at more than 100 companies in 12 major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Dalian and Nanjing. Students can sign up for the program at the Website.

Microsoft’s China boss quits to head NBA in China

BEIJING (Reuters) – The chief executive of Microsoft Corp’s Greater China business, Chen Yongzheng, has resigned, the world’s largest software maker said on Wednesday.

In a statement on its China Web site, Microsoft said its global vice president, Zhang Yaqin, would take over as acting Greater China chief while it sought a permanent replacement.

The New York Times reported on its Web site that the National Basketball Association (NBA) had hired Chen to head a Chinese subsidiary that it is setting up, a move highlighting the growing importance of China to the sport and to the NBA.

HK jobless up

Hong Kong’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate nudged up from 4.1 percent in the May-to-July period to 4.2 percent from June to August, officials said yesterday. Increases in the jobless rate were experienced mainly in the communications, real estate and wholesale trade sectors, the Census Statistics Department of Hong Kong said.

Decreases in the underemployment rate, which held stable at 2.3 percent, were seen mainly in foundation and superstructure construction, and communications sectors, offsetting increases in welfare and community services and retail trade. Total employment grew by about 10,100 from 3,494,200 in May-July to an all-time high of 3,504,300 in June-August. Over the same period, the labor force swelled by about 18,500 from 3,652, 200 to a new high of 3,670,700.

Probation Period Should Be Included In Chinese Labor Contracts

China’s Labor and Social Security Department has issued a reminder in local media to new college graduates that their probation period should be included in labor contracts with employers as part of their employment term and the trial use period must not be more than six months.

Specifically, the Tianjin Municipal labor and Social Security Department has said that the probationary period is for the employer and the employee to mutually understand each other and make a mutual decision. According to relevant laws, a probationary period shall be set between an employer and its employee, but the period should be included in the formal labor contract.

According to China’s new Labor Contract Law which is going to take effect on January 1, 2008, the probationary period must not be more than 1 month if the labor contract term is less than one year, and the probation period should not be over two months when the contract period is less than three years. The probation period for a labor contract whose term is more than three years should be less than six months.

In addition, the employer should only set one probation term with the employees, and during the probation period, the employer must offer social insurance for employees.