2 in 5 young Singaporeans struggle finding jobs

Are companies to blame?

According to the Randstad Workmonitor Report for Q2 2013, job prospects for young people (aged 25 or younger) in Singapore are the brightest globally, with only two in five (44 percent) signalling it is difficult for young people to find work.

Respondents in Singapore were the most optimistic of the 32 countries surveyed globally.

Confidence was significantly lower in Europe, with more than double the amount of people believing it is difficult for young people to find work (Greece, 91 percent and Spain and Italy both 89 percent).

Country Director of Randstad Singapore, Mr. Michael Smith said the confidence is reflective of the city-state’s low unemployment and stable economy.

“Across the board, the hiring outlook looks positive for the second half of 2013. This bodes well for young people entering the job market – particularly those with high quality degrees and relevant experience gained through internships and part-time roles.”

At the same time, seven in ten (68 percent) respondents believe it is good for their company to actively recruit young people.

Mr Smith said: “Young employees can bring in fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to an organisation. It is important for companies to take a forward-looking approach, and take the time to understand, appreciate and nurture young employees as they will be the future business leaders of Singapore.”

Ranking lowest (43 percent), employees in Singapore generally think young people do not accept jobs below their education level, compared to the global average of 70 percent.

However, the outlook is not as bright for people at the other end of the career spectrum. Almost nine in 10 (87 percent) of people agree that it is hard for mature age workers (aged 55 and above) to find a suitable job, despite three-quarters believing it is good for businesses to recruit from this age group.

Michael continued, “Mature-age workers are an invaluable resource for an organisation. Over their careers, they have accumulated a wealth of knowledge and much tried-and-tested experience, as well as built a wide network of industry connections. At the same time, they tend to be more loyal to their companies if treated respectfully. This is especially relevant to companies in Singapore as they struggle to find talent to maintain and drive business growth.

“We encourage all companies to look at both young and mature-age workers as a positive way of building a diverse workforce with strong knowledge, skills and ability to drive Singapore’s long-term growth and productivity,”