Dec 7, 2011

NTUC's masterplan: create better jobs for all

Creating better jobs and sustaining broad-based real wage increases for all workers - this will be the mission of the labour movement from now until 2015.

The labour movement's masterplan, LM 2015, was unveiled on Tuesday at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) National Delegates Conference.

In his report, NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say noted how Singapore's unemployment rates came down last year, even though the rates "stayed high" in the United States, the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

There has also been improvement in the real wage of workers here in the past decade, although the increase was not as high as in the '90s, he added.

Said Mr Lim, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office: "To have broad-based real wage increase, we need to have broad-based growth. I agree that we should never go for growth at all costs but we should also never forget the high costs of slow or no growth.

"We can never assume that we will always have enough jobs and real wage increase, as many Americans have found out the hard way and are still suffering from it."

Mr Lim noted that, at a time when unionisation is seen as a "sunset movement in many countries", union membership here has gone up by more than 30 per cent between 2007 and this year.

The labour movement currently has about 670,000 members. The target, Mr Lim said, is to reach one million members by 2015.

Mr Lim said: "Union leaders elsewhere often feel helpless when their workers are trapped in a hopeless situation. Not us here in Singapore. In good times or bad, we are always able to be helpful to our workers and our workers hopeful for a better future."

- TODAY newspaper

Skills upgrading programme for workers in water industry

To develop the capabilities of the water industry workforce, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), national water agency PUB, and the Singapore Water Association (SWA) have collaborated on a new training programme - the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Used Water Treatment Technician Programme - for the water industry.

This collaboration is part of efforts to align PUB's Water Management Certification Programme to the WSQ training system.

This is aimed at raising the water industry's competency standards whilst benchmarking it against international best practices.

The Water Management Certification Programme comprises a series of training programmes that focus on technical skills and capabilities to manage the various aspects of the water cycle.

Up to 200 operator and technical-level workers in the water industry are set to benefit from WSQ training for the water industry over the next two years.

To date, close to S$1 million has been set aside to enhance the manpower capabilities of the water industry.

- Channel News Asia

Citigroup Singapore laid off about 40 staff recently

Citigroup Singapore has laid off about 40 employees in recent weeks, The Straits Times has learnt.

The job cuts, which included senior positions, have come as the American bank on Wednesday announced it would axe 4,500 jobs globally and set aside US$400 million (S$515 million) for severance and other related costs.

The cuts here are believed to have come selectively across its investment bank, markets team and private bank.

A Citi spokesman in Singapore confirmed on Wednesday that there have been layoffs.

- The Straits Times

Nov 30, 2011

Job rate hits new high

Singapore's job market appeared rosy in 2011, with the employment rate hitting a new high of 78 per cent for the resident population aged 25 to 64.

This surpassed the previous high of 77.1 per cent in 2010.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said this reflected both the stable high in labour force participation rate and a lower unemployment rate.

The resident unemployment rate fell to a non-seasonally adjusted 3.9 per cent in June 2011, from 4.1 per cent in June 2010 and 5.9 per cent in June 2009.

The pool of economically-active residents increased over the year by 1.6 per cent in June 2011.

It is lower than the growth of 3.1 per cent in 2010 and the average of 2.6 per cent per annum from 2001 to 2011.

Another noteworthy trend is the "good progress" in the job rate for women and older residents.

For older residents, a record 61.2 per cent of residents aged 55 to 64 were working in 2011, up from 59 per cent a year ago.

The employment rate for males in this age group climbed from 75 per cent to 76.4 per cent while the rate for females rose from 43.4 per cent to 46.3 per cent.

The employment rate for women in the prime-working ages of 25 to 54 also rose to another high -- from 71.7 per cent in 2010 to 73 per cent in 2011.

Amid the tightened immigration framework, the number of permanent residents in the population fell by 1.7 per cent over the year in June 2011, after growing 1.5 per cent in 2010 and 11.5 per cent in 2009.

The resident labour force participation rate stabilised in 2011, after trending upwards gradually over time.

Growth in the resident labour force moderated in 2011, reflecting the absolute decline in number of permanent residents in the population.

There were 2.08 million residents in the labour force as at June 2011.

MOM said 66.1 per cent of the resident population aged 15 and over were either working or actively seeking work in 2011, similar to the record 66.2 per cent in 2010 and higher than 64.4 per cent in 2001.

Meanwhile, nominal incomes rose strongly in 2011, amid a tighter labour market.

The median monthly income from work (including employer CPF contributions) of full-time employed residents rose by 8.3 per cent over the year to S$3,249 in 2011.

It is higher than the growth of 2.5 per cent in 2010.

Taking headline inflation into account, the median income rose in real terms by 3.1 per cent in 2011, after a slight dip of 0.3 per cent in 2010.

- Channel News Asia

Jul 29, 2011

Unemployment up to 2.1% in second quarter

SINGAPORE'S unemployment crept up to 2.1 per cent in the second quarter of this year, from a three-year low of 1.9 per cent in the previous quarter.

The Manpower Ministry, in releasing preliminary estimates, said the rise came as a result of slower job creation.

The 22,800 jobs created between April and June represented a 19 per cent fall from the previous quarter and is a second consecutive quarter-on-quarter decline in employment growth.

The services sector alone accounted for the drop, with new jobs in that sector falling from 26,500 to 18,800. Job creation picked up speed in the other two sectors - manufacturing and construction.

The Ministry estimates that 81,300 Singapore residents were unemployed as of June this year, up from 54,300 in March.

The figure reflects "the increase in job seekers as tertiary graduates entered the labour market and students sought employment during the mid-year school vacation", it said.

- The Straits Times

Jun 27, 2011

Job seekers need to keep realistic salary expectations

Recruitment firm Hays said candidates need realistic salary expectations or risk pricing themselves out of the jobs market.

That is because employers are being more cautiously optimistic and will not pay over market-rate salaries to potential candidates, regardless of their specialised skills.

General Manager of Hays in Singapore, Chris Mead, said employers will continue to invest heavily in talent as companies in Asia embark on a new leg of expansion in emerging markets.

At the same time, they are unwilling to consider candidates that they feel are pushing a salary agenda.

He said it is important for candidates to keep their salary expectations in line with the market as employers will only increase rates so far.

Mr Mead said the outlook in Singapore is positive for candidates who want career opportunities within global, progressive organisations - provided they remain realistic in terms of compensation and benefits.

However, there is one area that is bucking the trend.

Candidates who are are looking for specific jobs and in skill short areas can more or less choose their salary and package.

This includes those with digital or e-commerce marketing and brand management expertise.

Another example is the accountancy & finance sector, where employers view candidates as crucial hires with high-level exposure.

Employers are therefore willing to pay competitive salaries in most cases, although the rare skills these roles demand can often make the recruiting timetable longer.

Overall, Mr Mead advised candidates to be open to new opportunities and review their options in the market.

- Channel New Asia

Jun 24, 2011

10,000 to get skills upgrading by WDA

Some 10,000 port industry employees will stand to benefit from training and skills upgrading under the first Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) collaboration among industry players.

This was made possible by an agreement signed on Friday by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), PSA Corporation and Jurong Port.

The WDA said the framework will provide nationally-recognised and structured training and certification for port employees.

It will start with mobile equipment operators and lashing specialists whose job includes securing containers on vessels using lashing equipment.

Previously, industry employees took stand-alone courses accredited by parties such as the Ministry of Manpower and Institute of Technical Education.

Wong Hong Kuan, the Chief Executive of WDA said: "If they upgrade themselves and take on greater job responsibilities as their skill sets allow them to, and with the WSQ Framework, they can look at much better pay prospects and growth prospects as well."

The WDA said the industry has good job prospects and expects to create another 5,000 jobs in the next three years.

The agency has already committed some S$8 million to train about 10,000 workers over the next three years.

Labour chief Lim Swee Say commented:"Education background is just the starting point in our lives but it should not be the factor to determine our ending point in our lives.

Because along the way, we'll pick up new skills, new competencies, and develop a new attitude. So the WSQ system is skill-based, competency based."

- Channel News Asia

Jun 2, 2011

More professionals here likely to job-hop in next three months

More professionals in Singapore will be likely to job-hop in the next three months compared to their counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a survey by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

The survey - which polled more than 2,800 workers - showed that 61 per cent of Singaporeans are looking to change jobs in the period ahead, compared to 57 per cent of professionals in Hong Kong, 56 per cent in Malaysia and 52 per cent in Thailand.

The figures indicate that professionals are optimistic about the job market, said Ms Andrea Ross, managing director at Robert Walters Singapore & Malaysia. However, the challenge will be ensuring that appropriate roles are available, she added.

And with so many professional looking to move, employers will likely face an increase in staff turnover and greater pressure to retain their top talent.

The poll also revealed that among the respondents from Singapore, 24 per cent are hoping to move jobs in the next 3 to 6 months, 7 per cent of respondents are hoping to move in the next 6 to 12 months, and 8 per cent are looking to move in 12 to 18 months.

- TODAY newspaper

Apr 26, 2011

Fewer layoffs, but manufacturing still vulnerable

FAR fewer workers lost their jobs last year as the economy recovered, but Singapore's manufacturing sector workers remain vulnerable to layoffs, according to a Manpower Ministry report yesterday.

It showed that 9,800 workers were laid off last year, a significant drop from the 23,430 who lost their jobs in the recession year of 2009.

The rate of layoffs - at 5.7 workers for every 1,000 employees - was also the lowest since the ministry's Redundancy and Re-employment data series began in 1998.

In fact, the manufacturing sector, which was hard hit by the 2009 recession, recorded the largest drop in the number of workers laid off. This came mostly from the electronics, machinery and transport equipment sectors.

Yet, manufacturing workers are still more likely to be retrenched or have their contracts terminated early, the report said.

Last year, 12 workers were laid off for every 1,000 employed in manufacturing. This compares with 3.5 for services and 5.4 for construction.

- The Straits Times

Mar 21, 2011

Class of 2010: More jobs, better starting pay for grads

WITH the economic recovery, the Class of 2010 from the three local universities is reporting higher employment rates and better starting salaries compared to graduates from the year before.

In particular, graduates from the Singapore Management University (SMU) last year had a record employment rate of 99.9 per cent and higher starting salaries across five of the university's degree programmes, surpassing the performance of graduates in 2009, when 96.8 per cent found employment.

At the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), about 90 per cent found jobs within six months.

These were among the findings of the Graduate Employment Survey just released by the Education Ministry.

The average monthly salary among SMU graduates in full-time jobs was $3,271, an improvement of 5.8 per cent over 2009's figure of $3,093 - it is also the highest for SMU graduates since its first cohort graduated in 2004.

In addition, the top 20 per cent of its graduates, usually those working in financial institutions, took home an average salary of $5,062. There were some among the 125 top-earners who were paid up to $13,000 a month.

- The Straits Times

More found jobs; higher salaries

WITH the economic recovery, the Class of 2010 from the three local universities are reporting higher employment rates and better starting salaries compared to graduates from the year before.

In particular, graduates from the Singapore Management University(SMU) last year had a record employment rate of 99.9 per cent and higher starting salaries across five of the university's degree programmes, surpassing the performance of graduates in 2009, when 96.8 per cent found employment.

At the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University, about 90 per cent found jobs within six months.

These were among the findings of the Graduate Employment Survey just released by the Education Ministry.

The average monthly salary among SMU graduates in full-time jobs was $3,271, an improvement of 5.8 per cent over 2009's figure of $3,093 - it is also the highest for SMU graduates since its first cohort graduated in 2004.

In addition, the top 20 per cent of its graduates, usually those working in financial institutions, brought home an average salary of $5,062. There were some among the 125 top-earners who were paid up to $13,000 a month.

- The Straits Times

Mar 15, 2011

More than 115,000 jobs created last year

There were a total of 115,900 jobs created in Singapore for the whole of last year. This was a slight adjustment to an earlier estimate of 112,500.

The Manpower Ministry said the total employment growth far exceeded the 37,600 jobs in 2009.

In its labour market report for 2010, MOM highlighted that the labour market recovered strongly last year from the 2009 recession, bolstered by the robust economic performance.

Recruitment companies also said that job-seekers are also finding work in shorter periods of time.

Foong Wei Liang, Talent Attraction Manager at Adecco, said: "Due to the fact that employers are going to need to hire quickly when they have determined that a candidate is right for their organisation, experienced and qualified job seekers know that they may have several job offers to choose from.

"Any procrastination from hiring managers could see lost recruitment opportunities and that's not something that any organisation wants to endure when the labour market is so tight."

The services sector contributed the bulk of employment gains of 111,000 in 2010, almost double that the previous year.

Construction employment grew by 2,500 down substantially from the gains of 25,100 in 2009.

This was mainly due to the completion of several large building projects and fewer new projects coming on stream.

Manufacturing employment declined by 1,100. However, this was much lower than the losses of 43,700 in 2009.

Last year, local employment grew by 56,200 while the number of foreigners, excluding foreign domestic workers, employed increased by 54,400.

As at December 2010, there were 1,992,700 locals in employment, forming around two in three of the 3,105,900 persons employed in Singapore. The remaining 1,113,200 were foreigners.

Overall unemployment rate was 2.2 per cent last year, down significantly from 3 per cent in 2009.

Fewer workers were laid off for the whole of 2010, despite an increase in the last quarter.

Redundancies for the whole year totalled 9,800 down from 23,430 in 2009. This was the second lowest redundancy level, since the start of the data series in 1998.

With the strong economy, job vacancies rose by 23 per cent in December last year, after dipping slightly in September.

With the tighter labour market, workers' earnings have risen.

Nominal earnings grew by 7.5 per cent over the year in the fourth quarter of 2010. Weighed down by higher inflation, real earnings rose by 3.4 per cent.

Labour productivity has also increased, driven by the strong output growth. It grew over the year by 7.8 per cent in the fourth quarter, higher than the 6.2 per cent increase in the previous quarter.

- Channel News Asia

Mar 4, 2011

30,000 jobs up for grabs at Career 2011

AT CAREER 2011, 30,000 jobs are on offer - the highest number offered by the annual job fair since 2001.

The four-day event opened on Thursday at Suntec Singapore's convention halls 601 to 603, to a steady stream of Singaporeans and foreigners looking for work or places at educational institutions.

Among this year's 250 exhibitors are firms from the aerospace industry and employment agencies such as CATS Recruit and JobStreet.

Around 30,000 places on educational courses are also available with private schools from more than 10 countries.

But the two integrated resorts were among the most aggressive employers. Their booths - next to each other at the exhibition entrance - were constantly abuzz on Thursday.

Resorts World Sentosa, gearing up for the launch of its maritime museum and oceanarium, as well as two hotels, is looking to fill some 1,000 positions.

- The Straits Times

Feb 26, 2011

Bumper year for NTU job fair

A RECORD 175 companies have taken part in the annual career fair at Nanyang Technological University, as the strong economy encourages employers to hire.

Last year, 109 took part in the two-day event, which is held on NTU's campus in Boon Lay. By contrast, this year's fair - which was held on Tuesday and on Friday - was the largest organised by a university here.

About 4,500 jobs were up for grabs from a range of industries in both the private and public sectors. Last year, there were 2,600.

Employers taking part this year included government agencies such as the Ministry of Defence and the Housing Board, and companies such as retailer Charles and Keith, and property and real estate firm CapitaLand.

NTU said the three private sector industries most represented were building and construction; banking, finance and insurance; and engineering and manufacturing. Nearly 20,000 NTU students visited the fair over the two days.

NTU's director of career and attachment office, Mr Loh Pui Wah, said: 'The strong participation rate by employers is a reflection of the good economy and a sign the hiring sentiment's back.'

- The Straits Times

Feb 22, 2011

NTU launches virtual job fair

The National Technological University (NTU) has launched a virtual career fair, believed to be the region's first, for its students and potential employees.

NTU said there are a record 175 companies taking part in the career fair this year, 60 per cent more recruiters compared to those in 2010.

The number of jobs offered at the fair this year doubled to a whopping 4,500, with about 80 per cent of recruiters from the private sector.

One of the features of the NTU iFair is the virtual career portal developed by NTU, which enables students to meet potential employers, online.

NTU's Career & Attachment Office director Loh Pui Wah said career fairs in the past tend to be brick-and-mortar.

"But with the evolvement of web technology, we want to bring the career fair (to the virtual world), so that companies... can make use of the web to (interact) with the students," Mr Loh said.

About 50 companies have signed up for a piece of the virtual real estate.

And as hiring sentiments make a positive comeback from last year, recruiters look set to step up on their branding for a tech-savvy generation.

DSO National Laboratories human resources assistant director Serene Tan said NTU's iFair is helpful because it is virtual, and cuts down on logistic effort to set up physical career booths.

"They have been quick to set the virtual booth up with some customisation and we will be putting up positions available on our DSO corporate website, which is directly linked to the iFair," she said.

Ms Tan added iFair will also help them get in touch with students on overseas attachments who are unable to attend the physical career fair.

The iFair is set to run from March 14 this year, and will continue to be accessible till June 30, 2011.

Meanwhile, the physical career fair runs on February 22 and 25 at NTU's Nanyang Auditorium.

- Channel News Asia

Feb 18, 2011

Fewer job ads in fourth quarter

THE number of job advertisements fell 9 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year as staff movements declined during the festive season.

There were 236,191 advertisements for professional positions in the three months to Dec 31, down from 259,665 in the third quarter, according to data released on Thursday by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

Robert Walters Singapore managing director Andrea Ross said a general reluctance to change jobs ahead of bonuses in the new year contributed to a decline in ads across most sectors.

The firm also said the fall was due in part to the demand for senior high-profile roles that are not usually advertised.

Ads for jobs in engineering, including surveyors, architects and technicians, remained steady with 34,577 placed in the quarter.

The human resources sector also stayed fairly steady with 12,955 ads posted, down a touch from the third quarter.

- The Straits Times

Feb 11, 2011

16,000 new jobs created with SME upgrading

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore that are involved in upgrading projects last year will create about 16,000 new jobs here when the projects are fully completed in the next one or two years.

About 3,500 SMEs took part in this upgrading process supported by enterprise development agency, SPRING Singapore.

Projects that have been put in place include productivity improvements, product, process and technology innovations, service quality, branding and intellectual property management.

Many SMEs have responded since the government's Economic Strategies Committee recommended increasing SME productivity in order to raise real wages and stay competitive.

About 66 per cent of SMEs have taken steps to raise productivity, and two initiatives rolled out by SPRING has helped them to do so.

Many SMEs leveraged the resources and expertise in knowledge institutions suchas A*STAR's research institutes, polytechnics and universities.

They also viewed service excellence as a competitive advantage in securing higher customer loyalty and was helped by NTUC and SPRING to focus on raising service standards.

Under SPRING's Business Leadership Initiative launched in 2007, 252 SME leaders and managers were trained in various advanced management and executive delopment programmes in 2010 to upgrad capabilities and build a healthy talent pipeline for future growth.

Singapore's entrepreneurship landscape also became more virbrant and varied with budding and experienced entrepreneurs setting up new businesses.

New programmes to support SMEs this year are in the pipeline and SPRING has stated that it will continue to support SMEs in their upgrading efforts and help them grow.

- AsiaOne

Feb 1, 2011

New jobs almost tripled last year

SINGAPORE employers added jobs at the fastest pace in the past three quarters as businesses ramped up hiring to meet demand during the year-end festivities.

About 30,600 people found jobs in the last three months of last year, boosting the number of new positions created for the whole of last year to 112,500, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday.

This is a huge, almost threefold, increase from the 37,600 new jobs added in 2009, when the financial crisis was still sweeping across the world.

In turn, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the last quarter stood at 2.2 per cent, up marginally from the previous quarter's 2.1 per cent. On a year-on-year basis, the overall jobless rate averaged a healthy low of 2.2 per cent last year, down from the 3 per cent in 2009, as the Singapore economy rebounded strongly.

Said Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday: "Going forward, if the economy stays on track to achieve the expected 4 to 6 per cent growth this year, the labour market will remain tight.

"This underscores the need for us to press on with our efforts to raise productivity and to moderate our dependency on foreign workers."

He was speaking on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony for the pioneering batch of students who had undergone the Heartland Retail Workforce Upskilling Programme in Chua Chu Kang.

Aimed at encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises to beef up their retail and service skills, the programme has grown to involve about 100 shops from six shopping centres, and about 280 people, since it began last September.

Mr Gan noted that the foreign- worker influx continues to be a matter close to the hearts of many Singaporeans, even as the number of jobs rise.

He said this is why the Government is not only urging employers to re-look their business process to raise productivity, but also to take more steps to encourage women to re-join the workforce and for older employees to work past the retirement age.

MOM's data yesterday was particularly encouraging as it showed that the unemployment rate among Singapore residents dropped significantly from 4.3 per cent in 2009 to 3.1 per cent last year. Nearly half of the new jobs - 54,200 - created last year went to locals, surpassing the 41,800 the year before.

Excluding foreign domestic workers, foreign employment rose by 53,000 over the year to stand at 31.4 per cent of the workforce in December last year, a notch up from the 30.7 per cent a year ago.

"The growth in foreign worker hires, excluding domestic workers, is lower than the 80,000 we had projected," said Mr Gan. The services sector led in the hiring last year, adding 109,500 workers, as opposed to the 55,600 increase in 2009. Jobs in the manufacturing sector, meanwhile, declined by 2,700. However, this was much lower than the 43,700 loss the year before.

According to the latest Business Expectations Survey, also released by the Government yesterday, the services sector continues to be strongly optimistic about growth in the next six months.

The amusement and recreation industry was found to be the most optimistic.

Resorts World Sentosa, for instance, said it held a very positive business outlook this year.

"We've surpassed our target of attracting 15 million visitors in our first year of operations and, as more of our attractions are slated to open within the next two years, we're looking to recruit another 2,000 to 3,000 more staff, in addition to our 12,000 employees," said Mr Robin Goh, the resort's assistant director of communications.

- My Paper

Jan 31, 2011

Singapore preliminary Q4 jobless rate at 2.2%

Singapore's Q4 jobless rate grew slightly to 2.2 per cent from Q3's 2.1 per cent, according to the Ministry of Manpower preliminary unemployment data on Monday.

Among the resident labour force, the unemployment rate for Q4 was 3.1 per cent, unchanged from Q3.

Preliminary estimates also showed total employment in Singapore rose by 30,600 jobs in the quarter, up from 20,500 in the third quarter. The total workforce stood at 3.1 million.

The bulk of employment gains came from the services sector, while manufacturing shed 2,800 jobs in the last three months of 2010.

Karin Clarke, Randstad Regional Director, Singapore & Malaysia commented: ""We are seeing higher wage pressure within the entry-level, white collar roles. This is reflective of the increasing influx of degree qualified entry-level candidates - up 13% from 1999 - entering the Singapore market."

"Today's graduates have high salary expectations and strong confidence in their value. This is creating a gap within the labour market as graduates for the most part do not want call centre or clerical roles - that is they don't want to start at the bottom and make their way up."

- Reuters

Jan 28, 2011

Record job vacancies last year

The number of job vacancies rose 36% over the year to 50,200 in September 2010.

According to the latest annual job vacancies report released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Friday, the rise in vacancies was driven by Singapore's rapid and robust economic recovery.

In fact, MOM said it was the highest number of job vacancies recorded since the comparable series started in March 2006.

The highest number of vacancies was for service & sales workers (10,330 or 22% of total vacancies), followed by professionals (8,270 or 18%) and associate professionals & technicians (8,230 or 18%).

Nevertheless, in terms of the three broad occupational groupings, employers were most looking to hire professionals, managers, executives & technicians (PMETs) (44%), followed by clerical, service & sales workers (29%) and production & transport operators, cleaners & labourers (27%).

Corroborating with the high demand for PMETs, positions requiring at least a university degree qualification made up the highest number of vacancies at 10,570 or 23% of total vacancies.

This was followed closely by openings requiring at least secondary (9,840 or 21%) qualifications, reflecting the strong demand for service & sales workers.

The services share of vacancies increased steadily from 68% in 2006 to 75% in 2010, reflecting the growing importance of the service economy.

Manufacturing contributed 17% of all vacancies in 2010, down from 26% in 2006.

MOM said the decline in manufacturing's share of vacancies partly reflects the continual restructuring of the sector towards high tech and value-added activities.

With the completion of major building projects, construction's share of vacancies declined to 6.6% in 2010, from 8.1% in 2009, after rising from 4.2% in 2006.

Five in eight vacancies (63%) in 2010 required working experience, comparable with a year ago (62%).

Overall, job-specific experience (26%) was a more common requirement than industry-specific (19%) and general working experience (19%).

Amid the tighter labour market, one in three (33%) vacancies was unfilled for at least six months.

The MOM said due to the record level of job openings, the number of openings vacant for at least six months rose from 10,140 in 2009 to a five-year high of 15,360 in 2010.

Eight in 10 (81%) of these vacancies were for non-PMETs and the remaining (19%) were for PMETs.

- Channel News Asia

Jan 27, 2011

NUS Career Fair: Record number of employers

GRADUATING students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) will have their pick of jobs at the university's annual career fair, with a record number of participating employers offering significantly more opportunities than in 2010.

The NUS Career Fair, which started on Thursday and ends on Friday, has attracted 145 employers. On offer in 2011, are 4,200 full-time jobs.

In 2010, the 120 employers who attended the event offered 3,500 full-time jobs.

The university has also tied up with Singapore Human Resources Institute (Shri), a professional body, to give students and alumni a better chance to land jobs.

The tie-up provides them access to internships and jobs with Shri's 3,000 members, a majority of whom are HR professionals and key decision-makers in their organisations.

Announcing the tie-up, NUS deputy president of academic affairs and provost Professor Tan Eng Chye said the partnership will also allow students to take part in Shri's inter-personal skills programmes.

- The Straits Times

Jan 20, 2011

Hiring expectations at 11-year high

Singapore is seeing its highest level of hiring expectations in 11 years, said recruitment firm Hudson.

Sixty-two per cent of companies surveyed for its latest quarterly report said they plan to increase headcount in the first three months of this year.

Employers in the manufacturing and industrial sector are the most bullish, reporting the fastest growth in hiring expectations, with 61 per cent in the sector planning to increase hiring.

The report said this was partly due to pre-emptive hiring as they expect to lose some key employees after bonuses were paid this quarter.

But hiring expectations may be more cautious for the rest of the year.

Hudson Singapore executive general manager Georgie Chong said: "At 62 per cent, it's really at a historical high.

"And given that we still have some uncertainties in the economy in terms of what's happening in Europe, in terms of fear of inflation coming back (and) because of all those uncertainties, I'd say let's be cautious.

"(In the) first quarter, people are hiring to position for growth in 2011, but going into Q2, Q3, Q4, it's anybody's guess and in terms of business planning, we'd go for cautious growth and not irrational exuberance".

Given the tight market for talent, more firms are adopting measures to retain valued employees.

The most widely used options are employee recognition programmes and monetary incentives.

Offering work-life balance benefits have also become a key retention strategy for employers.

Recruitment firms say retaining workers in an economy which is still expected to do well this year will be a key challenge for HR managers and directors.

In fact, implementation of good retention strategies is expected to intensify as companies attempt to enhance loyalty and keep good workers.

Employees can also expect better bonuses paid out as more companies did well last year.

In a survey by Singapore Human Resource Institute, variable bonus averaged 2.3 months in 2010.

This is higher than 1.7 months the previous year.

Singapore Human Resources Institute executive director David Ang said: "Some of them would be expecting this before Chinese New Year, but there are also some companies (which) will stretch out the bonuses and incentive payments as a form of retention strategy, and I think this is a good strategy in terms of arresting some turnover of staff and so on.

"But if an employee is already looking forward to not staying in the organisation, then I think it's a disappointment if it's spaced out".

With inflation and rising salaries continuing to worry companies, HR practitioners say restraint on wage increase and bonuses this year will be evident.

- Channel News Asia

Jan 12, 2011

Work option for retiring staff starts next year

FROM next January, workers who turn 62 must be offered an option to work for another three years, if they want to.

That is official, after Parliament on Tuesday passed the Retirement and Re-employment Act.

Singapore is now the second country in the world - after Japan - to legislate re-employment, and the first to spell out eligibility criteria, a dispute-resolution mechanism and penalties for errant employers.

To qualify for re-employment, workers must be medically fit and have at least satisfactory work performance. The onus is on employers to prove that a worker is not eligible for re-employment.

In Parliament on Tuesday, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong urged employers to put in place systems to provide fair evaluation of workers' performance and medical fitness.

But employers can offer workers different jobs and employment terms, provided these are reasonable.

- The Straits Times