Job opportunities remained available across all sectors in Singapore in 2019, mainly in information and communications, public administration and education, professional services, financial and insurance services and manufacturing.
The annual Job Vacancies 2019 report by the Ministry of Manpower showed that 3 42% of the vacancies in 2019 were for newly created positions as a result of business expansion and formation. The growth sectors i.e. ICT, professional services, financial and insurance services, wholesale trade and healthcare had above-average proportion of vacancies for newly created positions. There was demand for software, web & multimedia developers and systems analysts, commercial & marketing sales executives and business development managers, nurses and healthcare assistants. For 51% of PMET vacancies such as software, web & multimedia developers and commercial & marketing sales executives, employers placed greater emphasis on the candidates’ skills, work experience and attitude, than on academic qualifications.
The lack of necessary specialised skills was a common challenge faced by employers when hiring for PMET vacancies. For non-PMET positions, it was usually due to a mismatch in wage expectations.
Even though there were fewer vacancies in 2019 due to the uncertain economic conditions, there remained job opportunities across sectors, particularly in the growth sectors. Employers are also placing more emphasis on applicants’ skills, work experience and attitude, beyond academic qualifications. This underscores the need for job seekers to reskill and upskill to stay relevant to changing job requirements.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, MOM said the government has stepped up support for businesses to retain, recruit, and reskill workers for new jobs. The Stabilisation and Support Package announced at Budget 2020 will help workers retain their jobs and upgrade their skills to be ready for new job opportunities when the economy recovers. Enterprises will receive support for keeping workers employed, through the Jobs Support Scheme1 and enhanced Wage Credit Scheme2.
