Despite global job prospects unlikely to improve in the last quarter of 2013, Singapore along with a few countries look set to buck the trend.
Despite global job prospects unlikely to improve in the last quarter of 2013, Singapore along with a few countries look set to buck the trend.
According to the latest Manpower employment outlook survey, 25% of the 700 employers interviewed in Singapore expect to hire more people, with 4% expecting a drop in headcount numbers and 65% anticipating no change in recruitment. The figures result in a net employment outlook of +20% after adjusting for seasonal factors. This is 6% higher than the current quarter and 2% more than from last year.
Out of the 42 economies and cities surveyed in the report, only India (+40%), Taiwan (+37%) and Panama (+24%) look set to have stronger hiring figures than Singapore. Employers in all of Singapore’s seven industry sectors are expecting to increase staffing numbers, with the finance, insurance and real estate sector (+36%) and the public administration and education (+34%) posting the greatest optimism. Elsewhere, the transportation and utilities sector posted the least increment with just 9%. Conversely, the weakest countries are Italy (-17%), Spain (-7%) and Finland (-6%). They are expecting to cut headcounts. Compared to last year, the jobs outlook is stronger in 16 countries, weaker in 25 and remains the same in one country.