Hiring to pick up despite uncertainty

SINGAPORE - Mr Robert Tan found the right fit when he took on a job as a financial adviser late last year.

It suited his personality as he spends long hours each day meeting and chatting with clients.

"It appeals to me because it is who I am. I am very comfortable when I speak with people and it doesn't really count as work," the 25-year-old told My Paper.

And, as long as he meets his sales targets - he makes about $2,500 a month selling unit trusts and insurance - he feels secure in his role.

Employees in the sector of finance, insurance and real estate can look forward to brighter times.

The sector is the most optimistic when it comes to employment prospects in the first three months of next year, according to results of a survey conducted by workforce-solutions firm Manpower Singapore.

Results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released yesterday show that while employers may be cautious in their expansion plans, there are signs of stability in the labour market.

A sample of 654 employers here was interviewed for the survey.

The country's overall employment outlook for the first three months of next year is good, with a "respectable" increase of 11 per cent and employers in all seven industry sectors expected to raise staffing levels.

Even the services sector, the weakest, is expected to increase staffing by 3 per cent.

A separate report released yesterday by global management consultancy Hay Group said that, despite the continuing uncertainty in the global economy, "hiring seems to have picked up in Singapore".

According to the report, 58 per cent of more than 505 Singapore-based companies from both the private and public sectors are planning to increase staffing levels. This is compared to 50 per cent this time last year.

The companies were polled on their business sentiments, and salary and bonus projections for the next 12 months.

The report showed that the top five areas of recruitment are in engineering, sales, finance and accounting, IT and telecommunications, and marketing.

It also said that Generation Y talent, typically those born between 1981 and 2000, are most attracted and motivated by measures such as financial assistance in education and training, job rotations and overseas-attachment opportunities.

Job hopes 'poorer' in first quarter of next year

A new survey of Singapore employers has found that job prospects in the first three months of next year are looking sharply weaker as the economy slows.

Only about one in five employers surveyed plans to add staff, far lower than the one in three in the current quarter, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey by US-based recruitment firm Manpower.

This is the weakest figure since the end of 2008, and comes on the back of a bleak economic growth forecast for next year of just 1 per cent to 3 per cent expansion.

Employers planning to cut staffing levels jumped to 5 per cent from just 2 per cent this quarter. The survey found the best bets in the weakening jobs market are civil service positions, education jobs and those in real estate, finance and insurance.