Antarctica

The British Antarctic Survey has launched a recruitment campaign to attract carpenters, electricians, plant technicians, plumbers and chefs to work at its research stations. Flexible contracts will run from four to 18 months, while starting salaries are £23,000 per annum. Accommodation, travel, clothing and food will also be provided.

Russia

January has seen a 10-15% increase in the number of vacancies in Russia’s finance sector from December 2008, according to specialist recruitment company Antal Russia. In terms of finance salaries, the highest ones are commanded by finance specialists in the pharmaceutical sector.

China

At an international forum in Beijing, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions has said protecting and creating jobs must be the top priority for trade unions around the world, Chinese news website CCTV.com reports.

Canada

Canada’s unemployment rate jumped by 0.6 of a percentage in January to 7.2%, according to Statistics Canada. A total of 129,000 jobs were lost, mostly full-time positions.

Australia

Around 37,000 Australians joined the unemployment queue in January as the country’s jobless rate reached a 31-month high, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Australia’s unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 4.8%, its highest rate since June 2006.