Hong Kong lifts ban
Headhunters are preparing for a substantial surge in business following the scrapping last month of a ban prohibiting holders of dependant visas from taking up employment in Hong Kong, reports the <I>Standard</I>, a business newspaper based in China. Dan Chavasse, managing director of executive recruitment agency Michael Page International, said: "The lifting will definitely help solve the talent shortage we're facing right now."

Healthcare tops poll
The rising cost of healthcare has topped the list of issues worrying companies, reports the Society of Human Resources Managers (SHRM) in the US. The SHRM surveyed a random sample of 1,232 of its members. The next biggest concern is the increased use of outsourcing/ offshoring of jobs to other countries. Other issues include the rise in identity theft and the vulnerability of technology to attack or disaster.

Qatar demands certification
Foreigners intending to work in Qatar will have to produce a medical certificate from a recognised health facility in order to get an entry visa into the country, reports the Financial Express. The Department of Labour issued this directive to manpower and recruitment agencies and have given them six months to comply. The Department also told the recruitment agencies that they should have a permanent location and deal only with recruitment and not any other business.

Strong outlook for India
Kelly Services India said the outlook for the rest of 2006 was strong, and there is demand for new skills that is hard to satisfy. It said employees in the IT industry in India had seen wages rise 17.9% in the last year. Kelly's country manager Achal Khanna noted heavy investment in IT from global firms. Meantime, the call centre industry is facing a "major churn," said Kelly.