Around the world: Longevity swaps jobs in the UK, and super fund admin positions in Australia

They're niche, but jobs involving longevity swaps are on the up

Reinsurers, insurers, consultants and, to a lesser extent, investment banks are recruiting in anticipation of a surge in longevity swap deals in the next 18 months. Longevity swaps are complex instruments, which allow pension schemes and insurers to hedge against the risk of retirees living longer than expected. [UK]

RBC is hiring, but some private banks are firing

RBC aims to more than double its private banking assets in Asia to C$25 billion by 2015. More hires are also in the pipeline - the number of frontline bankers and brokers in Asia is expected to increase to 100-120 from its current workforce of 60 in that time. RBC's wealth management unit operates out of Singapore and Hong Kong, and it has representative offices in Brunei and Beijing. [HK]

Paying double: Salary wars in China could well go into overdrive in 2012

The pay wars in China's financial sector, where many candidates get 30 to 50 percent salary increases (sometimes even more), are not going away anytime soon. In fact, the prediction is that firms in China will have to fork out even more to attract and retain talent come 2012. [China]

Worrying signs that international investment banks are retreating from the Middle East

Crédit Agricole's decision to move its MENA M&A team from Dubai to Paris is indicative of an increasing reluctance of international investment banks to maintain a significant presence in the region. [Middle East]

Here is a sector of financial services that is actually hiring people: Super fund administration

Even as banks cut and freeze recruitment, the large superfund administrators are still taking on staff, predominately in Melbourne. Hiring is mainly driven by continued outsourcing of administration functions to major players such as Superpartners, Mercer Wealth Solutions, Russell Investments, AAS and Pillar. [Australia]