Singapore’s job vacancy jumped 4.4% in 2012

Check out the most in-demand positions last year.

The Ministry of Manpower released today the latest statistics on Singapore’s job vacancy for September 2012.

According to the report, amid the tight labour market, job vacancies rose by 4.4% over the year to 56,400 in September 2012. Service & sales workers (12,430 or 24% of total vacancies) were the most sought after, reflecting strong demand for shop sales assistants, waiters, security guards, food service counter attendants and cashiers & ticket clerks. This was followed by associate professionals & technicians (8,960 or 17%) and professionals (8,040 or 15%).

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There were vacancies available for all educational levels. One in four vacancies in 2012 needed basic educational qualifications of up to primary level (12,880 or 25%). There were also many openings requiring university degree (10,140 or 19%), diploma & professional qualifications (9,980 or 19%) and secondary (9,990 or 19%) qualifications.

Services continued to account for the majority (78% or 41,110) of job openings in 2012, mainly in community, social & personal services (12,210 or 23%). There were also many vacancies in accommodation & food services (6,490 or 12%), wholesale & retail trade (6,160 or 12%) and administrative & support services (4,420 or 8.4%). 

Manufacturing and construction contributed another 6,350 (or 12%) and 3,940 (or 7.5%) of openings in 2012. Almost two in three vacancies (64%) in 2012 required some form of work experience. Job-specific (24%) and general (22%) experience were more common than industryspecific (18%) experience.

Positions for managers & administrators, professionals, associate professionals & technicians and craftsmen & related trades workers commonly required job- or industry-specific working experience. In contrast, openings for cleaners, labourers & related workers and, to a lesser extent, service & sales workers typically do not require any working experience.

Reflecting the tight labour market and moderation in inflow of foreign workers, vacancies unfilled for six months or more rose to 20,930, representing 40% of total vacancies in 2012, up from 18,230 or 35% a year ago.

The bulk (17,270 or 83% openings unfilled for extended periods were for non-PMETs, led by service & sales workers (6,660 or 32% of vacancies unfilled for at least six months) and cleaners, labourers & related workers (4,650 or 22%). 

With the labour market near full employment, employers reported difficulties in hiring locals for two in three (66%) or 34,760 of the vacancies in 2012.

Reflecting the predominance of lower-end occupations among the hard-to-fill vacancies, unattractive pay (affecting 49% of hard-to-fill vacancies), physically strenuous job (42%), nonconducive working environment (34%) and shift work (30%) were the common reasons employers cited for their difficulty in recruiting locals.