Job advertising in Singapore dipped 0.7%

Blame it on stronger Singapore dollar.

According to Robert Walters' Asia Job Index, the total number of job advertisements for professional positions rose by 4% from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013. Job advertisements from January to March 2013 increased by 20.6%. All territories showed an increase in recruitment advertising in comparison to Q4 2012, apart from Singapore which showed a slight decline of 0.7%.

Mark Ellwood, managing director for Robert Walters, Southeast Asia said "the overall increase in job advertising numbers is a positive sign of improved
business confidence in the region.

However, Singapore was an exception with a slight decrease on the previous quarter, which can be attributed to fewer businesses choosing to hub in the country due to the strength of Singapore dollar.

It is also important to remember that the Chinese New Year holidays would have had a depreciating effect on advertising activity, so Q2’s advertising figures should give a clearer indicator of recruitment demand.” 

Recruitment advertising volumes across Asia grew by 4% compared with Q4 2012 and by 20.6% from January to March 2013. News reports during Q1 alluded to confidence improving among Asian economies, supported by China’s reported GDP figure of 7.5%.

The retail sector continued to be a strong area for job advertising, with advert numbers increasing in Japan (8.5%), Malaysia (18.3%) and Hong Kong (10.9%) following improved consumer sentiment.