Industrial and manufacturing employment soars 60% in Q2

This is due to growth plans across semiconductor chip manufacturers, capital equipment, and electronics makers.

Job opportunities in Singapore rose 8% in the second quarter from the previous quarter, led by the increase in employment in the industrial and manufacturing sector which jumped 60% during the same period, according to recruitment specialists Michael Page Singapore.

Nilay Khandelwal, managing director of Michael Page Singapore, said the increase in the industrial and manufacturing sector is due to the growth plans among semiconductor chip manufacturers, capital equipment, and electronics makers.

He added that the job functions in-demand in the front-end roles include design professionals, testing/verification to back-end roles such as packaging, field support, and quality management.

“Automation and digitalisation remain a key focus for most organizations and there has been a consistent demand for automation professionals. Due to the active technical employment market right now, job seekers are more inclined to make a job move hence many companies are replacing their headcount as well as hiring for their expansion plans at the same time,” Khandelwal said.

Hiring in sales and marketing almost doubled in the second quarter, increasing 41%, most in-demand within the Healthcare and Life Science, and fast-moving consumer goods, as companies prioritise marketing across digital channels. Opportunities in the digital sector also rose by 33%, it said.

There was also an 11% increase in contracting job opportunities which indicates “an encouraging shift towards agile hiring in Singapore.”

“In these times of uncertainty, fixed-term professional hiring provides a lot of flexibility and a variety of experience in a short time. Contracting has proven itself to be a viable solution to headcount limits or project hire, and can save cost and improve the flexibility of the workforce,” Khandelwal said.