2011 Salary Survey reveals who earns what:Robert Walters

The Singapore job market remained active and Robert Walters gives us a glimpse of the numbers.

With an economic growth rate of some 15%, many companies focused strongly on developing their operations in Singapore and we saw high levels of recruitment activity across the country. Following four consecutive quarters of strong hiring, however, Singapore did experience a slight slowdown in activity levels during the last quarter of 2010.

In the midst of abundant job opportunities, the Singapore market again experienced a war for talent and companies struggled to retain their top employees. While a number of professionals moved off-shore to take advantage of market growth in China and Hong Kong, the local talent pool remained intact. This was primarily due to an influx of professionals from Asia, Australia and Europe as well as Singapore nationals who returned to the country.

In the first half of 2010, there was a noticeable increase in financial reporting, compliance, credit risk and relationship management positions called to market within the financial services industry. Most roles recruited were those put on hold during the global financial crisis. We saw growth in the consumer banking sector as consumer confidence increased, while hiring activity in the investment and wealth management sectors remained at
a constantly high level throughout the year.

Recruitment activity in the commerce industry began to strengthen in quarters three and four, particularly in the hospitality, FMCG, pharmaceutical, healthcare, engineering, industrial, oil and gas and IT&T sectors. The renewable energy market picked up due to an increasing number of projects being implemented within Asia Pacific, with a particular focus on the solar, wind and water sectors. Marketing and sales professionals, general managers with profit and loss experience, procurement specialists, project managers and application developers were particularly highly sought-after.

During 2011, Robert Walters anticipates growth in the aviation and aerospace sector in line with the launch of the Seletar Aerospace Park (scheduled for completion in the first half of the year). Engineering professionals will be in high demand within the chemical, energy, pharmaceutical, biotechnological and industrial sectors. Robert Walters also anticipates a growing interest among candidates in contract assignments as they look to gain varied experience, increased exposure and the opportunity to work for renowned companies. 

Click here to view the 2011 Singapore Salary Survey