With the global economic slowdown and
political uncertainty, Singapore is set for a slowdown this year,
with employment prospects for the year hardly rosy.
But there are bright spots, according to the latest
report by recruitment firm Robert Walters. In particular,
technology specialists, digital marketers and regulatory and
compliance project professionals are in high demand.
Recruitment in the tech sector is set for an uptick
with the Government's plan to boost the local start-up ecosystem,
said the report, which was released yesterday.
As more firms shift from traditional retail to
e-commerce, professionals with experience in developing the latest
technology and platforms will be highly sought after.
"There will be cautious hiring activity in some sectors
while employers in other booming industries might be ramping up
their recruitment efforts," said Mr Toby Fowlston, managing
director of Robert Walters South-east Asia.
Based on its Asia Job Index, the number of IT jobs
advertised in Singapore in the fourth quarter of last year surged
30 per cent year-on-year, despite a decline of 1.4 per cent in the
overall number of jobs advertised here for the same period of time,
reported The Straits Times.
This "cautious" confidence has also been reflected in
another survey, which showed that more small businesses in
Singapore are expecting to increase head count this year, compared
with last year.
However, the annual CPA Australia Asia-Pacific Small
Business Survey, which studied eight markets in the region, also
revealed that these same businesses have low growth expectations
for this year.
Mr Alex Malley, CPA Australia's chief executive,
believes the optimism around employment could be because small
businesses only expect weak business growth in the short term.
"Small businesses reporting a positive outlook in
hiring intentions may indicate a belief that stronger economic
conditions could start to emerge in the latter half of 2017," he
said.
Those in the technology business appear to be thriving
in Singapore lately.
Tech titan Facebook is looking to expand its presence
here and is said to have secured a large office space at the
massive Marina One development, which is expected to be completed
this year.
Industry sources, who asked not to be named, told The
Straits Times that the social media firm will occupy more than
250,000 sq ft of space over several floors at the office tower in
Marina Bay, taking up about 13 per cent of the total 1.88 million
sq ft of prime Grade A office space available.
According to The Straits Times, Facebook moved to a
70,000 sq ft office at South Beach Tower in Beach Road in August
2015, from a commercial building at 158, Cecil Street.
Mr Nick Pan, 40, regional head of strategy and planning
at digital marketing and advertising firm VML, told The New Paper
that they are constantly looking to hire, especially those with
experience.
The agency employs 2,800 people globally, with 140
based in Singapore.
Mr Pan said: "The skill sets that we require are very
specialised, and we are looking for people with five to seven years
of experience. Such specialised training was not (widely) available
in schools before."
TNP