Guess which sectors intend to go on a hiring spree in 2Q14

Your guess is as good as ours.

According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, Singapore employers report upbeat hiring prospects for Quarter 2 2014.

The strongest labor market is forecast in the Transportation & Utilities sector, where the Net Employment Outlook stands at +35%. A healthy hiring pace is expected by Finance, Insurance & Real Estate sector employers who report an Outlook of +24%.

The hiring pace is expected to be similarly active in the Mining & Construction sector, the Public Administration & Education sector and the Services sector where employers in each report Net Employment Outlooks of +21%.

When compared with the previous quarter, hiring plans improve in three of the seven industry sectors. The most noteworthy increase of 10 percentage points is reported by employers in the Transportation & Utilities sector while an increase of 3 percentage points is reported by Mining & Construction sector employers.

Meanwhile, hiring prospects weaken in two sectors, most notably by 6 percentage points in the Manufacturing sector. “The expected weakness in the Manufacturing sector is not surprising especially following the fall in biomedical manufacturing output.” said Ms. Linda Teo, Country Manager of Manpower Singapore.

Hiring intentions strengthen in four of the seven industry sectors when compared with 2Q 2013. Transportation & Utilities sector employers report a sharp increase of 32 percentage points.

The Mining & Construction sector Outlook is 12 percentage points stronger while employers in the Wholesale & Retail Trade sector report a 7 percentage point improvement. However, hiring intentions weaken in three sectors, most notably by 18 percentage points in the Public Administration & Education sector.

The Outlook for the Services sector declines by 9 percentage points and employers report a 4 percentage point decrease in the Manufacturing sector.