11% growth in Singapore job advertisements in Q1 2016

The number of job advertisements in Singapore in the first quarter grew 11% from a year ago, according to our Asia Job Index Q1 2016 research, indicating a strong demand for top talent despite market concerns.

“The increase in job advertising was more positive than expected given that Singapore’s GDP is currently growing at 2%. While employment demands within the digital, e-commerce and cyber security sectors remained strong, we saw an increase in the length of time required to successfully hire. Caution in the market caused delays in hiring decisions, which led to positions left unoccupied for longer periods of time and repeated job advertising. As employers became more invested in making the right hires and retaining talent, the strategic role of human resources remained critical to organisations,” commented Toby Fowlston, Managing Director - Southeast Asia, Robert Walters.

Key findings

• As professionals’ aspirations to advance their careers and skill sets increased, companies implemented learning & development programmes as part of talent retention strategies. Job advertising for human resources professionals grew 10% from Q1 2015 to support such initiatives.  
• Continued investment and interest from venture capital companies in technology start-ups drove job volumes for IT professionals up 8%.
• Demand from the mushrooming e-commerce and digital sectors saw a 19% spike in marketing job advertisements as companies sought to utilise more creative channels to connect with consumers. 
• A surge in demand for sales professionals saw a 13% growth in advertised jobs as businesses aimed to boost their revenue streams and improve bottom lines.

For the full report, please click to download the Robert Walters Asia Job Index Q1 2016 report.

Growth in other Asian regions

China: Some tightening in the job market due to a cautious view towards the economy, however the services industry remains the key engine for growth.

Malaysia: Growth in technology, sales and marketing driven by the popularity of e-commerce and consumerism.

Hong Kong: Hiring demands within the HR, IT, legal and compliance areas have increased in the first quarter of the year.

Taiwan: Stable business outlook and entrance of international SMEs support job market growth.

Click to read the full Asia Job Index Q1 2016 Report.

About the Asia Job Index

The Robert Walters Asia Job Index tracks the number of job advertisements on a daily basis across the executive appointments sections of key newspapers and leading online job boards in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Released on a quarterly basis, the report provides an indicative summary of recruitment activity being experienced across major regional markets as well as key industry comparisons.

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