Worldwide
Around 51m jobs could go worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The UN agency says world unemployment rate could jump to 7.1% by the end of 2009, compared with 6% in 2008 and 5.7% in 2007.

Canada
The Canadian government has committed to spending “whatever is necessary” to stimulate the country’s economy due to the global
economic downturn, according to the BBC. Canada’s proposed budget is of C$40bn (£23bn) over five years.

US
EmploymentGuide.com, a division of Dominion Enterprises, has launched a nationwide job fair series, ‘Putting Americans Back to
Work’, to help 10,000 Americans find jobs. The new series invites only companies with immediate hiring needs to take part. The job fairs are open to all jobseekers and are free to visit.

Taiwan
More than 139,000 people applied for unemployment benefits in 2008, the Taiwan News reports. This marked an increase of 60,000 over the previous year, according to statistics by the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA).

Australia
Recruitment group Hudson’s quarterly survey of Western Australian employers shows confidence in the construction, property and
engineering sector is dwindling, with a fifth of bosses looking to cut workers as capital for projects dries up.