3 in 10 Singapore bosses eye boosting headcount in 2014

Versus 16% last year.

According to the JobStreet.com Job Outlook Report, Singaporean employers are taking a cautiously optimistic approach for their hiring initiatives in 2014 compared to 2013. 

58% of the employers that JobStreet.com surveyed are expecting to maintain or increase their hiring in the next 12 months, a 5% increase compared to the forecast in 2013

33% required more than 10 additional headcounts in 2014 compared to 16% in 2013. The industries which indicated the biggest headcount expansion are construction, hospitality, manufacturing and trade.

In terms of skill sets, candidates in sales and marketing are still the most sought after, followed by those with expertise in accounting, engineering and information technology. Only 3% of employers acknowledged that they are not hiring in the foreseeable future, a 4-point drop from the 7% in 2013.

A separate survey by JobStreet.com earlier this year to 400 local candidates found that Singaporeans are still taking a cautious approach to employment in 2014. 56% of candidates expressed doubts over the job market this year, although it reflected a 14% drop from last year.

The attitude towards job search that candidates take is to occasionally browse for jobs, but apply only for jobs that offer compelling benefits that attract them.

55% of employers are looking for junior level candidates with less than 4 years of experience followed by 28% who are looking at supervisory level and professionals. 12% of employers are looking at hiring managerial level and above while the rest are looking at hiring fresh graduates. On recruitment challenges in 2014, many employers expressed concerns over the widening gap between jobs availability and willing manpower to fill those vacancies.