Jobs with the highest and lowest demands in Singapore

Physicians & surgeons have seen significantly more demand, with a 52.6% increase in job postings between 31 May to 31 August 2022.

Physicians & surgeons, roles in hospitality & tourism, as well as roles in insurance have seen among the highest surge in job postings over the past months, Indeed's latest data has revealed.

According to the data, the demand for physicians & surgeons was significantly higher than the rest of the roles, with a 52.6% increase in job postings between 31 May to 31 August 2022. In comparison, roles in hospitality & tourism saw a 16.1% increase in demand, while roles in insurance saw a 13% increase in demand.

As a whole, the top 10 occupation groups that saw an increase in job demands over the three months are:

1. Physicians & surgeons (+52.6%)
2. Hospitality & tourism (+16.1%)
3. Insurance (+13%)
4. Nursing (+11.7%)
5. Veterinary (+10.5%)
6. Real estate (+10.4%)
7. Retail (+8.5%)
8. Logistics support (+7.3%)
9. Arts & entertainment (+7%)
10. Media & communications (+4.9%)

As highlighted in the findings, the healthcare industry continues to be a significant sector, with widespread skill shortages prominent across the industry. Loosening pandemic restrictions and reopening borders also helped boost the embattled travel sector, spurring more jobs.

Despite these increases, a lower number of job postings were observed in that period, "reflecting a marked slowdown in job creation."

On the other hand, the data also revealed the occupation groups which saw the biggest drops in demand – with chemical engineering leading the way (-40.1%), followed by childcare (-27.7%), and mechanical engineering (-21.6%) recording the highest decreases.

The overall groups that saw the biggest decrease in job demands are:

1. Chemical engineering (-40.1%)
2. Childcare (-27.7%)
3. Mechanical engineering (-21.6%)
4. Construction (-19.6%)
5. Beauty & wellness (-16.4%)
6. Civil engineering (-12.2%)
7. Medical technician (-11%)
8. Industrial engineering (-10.7%)
9. Production & manufacturing (-10.7%)
10. Cleaning & sanitation (-9.8%)

Commenting on the findings, Callam Pickering, Indeed's APAC Economist, said: "The report indicates that the Singapore job market remains favourable for jobseekers and challenging for recruitment across most industries and occupations. With borders reopening and businesses ramping up activity, companies are seeking workers to fill roles in the travel and hospitality sectors.

"This also means workers in these industries are better placed to bargain for higher wages."

Remote work continues to be sought after in Singapore 

The report also highlighted that the number of postings indicating or explicitly mentioning phrases such as 'work remotely' or 'work from home' has more than halved from its peak in December last year.

That said, it was added, jobseekers in Singapore "remain keenly interested" in remote opportunities. Outside of generic terms such as 'full-time' or 'part-time', remote work and similar phrases are consistently among Singapore's most popular search terms. By the end of August, 3.9% of searches on the platform were for remote work – only slightly below its peak – having "steadily trended upward throughout the pandemic."

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