S'pore hiring sentiment 'up for Q2, but outlook still weak'

Esther Ng | 13 Mar, 2012 6:33 AM
SINGAPORE - The job market here is looking up slightly, with 22 per cent of employers forecasting an increase in staffing levels in the second quarter of this year, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey by Manpower Singapore.

Of the 624 employers surveyed last month, almost seven in 10 predicted no change to staffing levels, while only 2 per cent anticipated a decrease.

Overall, hiring prospects strengthened slightly by 4 percentage points quarter-on-quarter, but net employment outlook fell 10 percentage points year-on-year.

Net employment outlook is derived by subtracting the percentage of employers expecting to see a decrease in employment at their location in the next quarter from the percentage of employers anticipating an increase.

While there is "incremental improvement in employer confidence", the second-quarter outlook is still weaker than at any point in 2010 and last year, said Manpower Singapore country manager Linda Teo. "(It) indicates employers have a ways to go before their confidence is fully restored," she said.

Employment outlook was rosiest for the public administration and education sector, boasting a net employment outlook of 34 per cent compared to 27 per cent last quarter.

The net employment outlook also rose in the mining and construction sector, from 13 per cent in the first quarter to 24 per cent.

Finance, insurance and real estate reported a fairly upbeat net employment outlook of 20 per cent, dropping just one percentage point from the last quarter. This, however, is the least optimistic forecast since the third quarter of 2009.

The findings were in keeping with market trends, AYP Associates managing director Annie Yap told Today. "Whenever there is a downturn, the Government would usually pour resources in healthcare and education," she said.

Adecco's director of professional staffing, Mr Rohit Chattree, attributed the positive hiring outlook in construction to demand for residential units and firms building new factories and expanding existing plants.

Separately, another poll by recruitment firm Robert Walters revealed the "cautiously optimistic approach" employers and job seekers are taking.

The global Web poll, which surveyed 2,756 professionals in Singapore, found four in 10 typically have an offer in hand while searching for a new job and they usually accepted the first job offer, while 26 per cent had two job offers before moving on to their recent position.


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