Proportion of job vacancies for PMETs rose further in 2023, with tech workers in demand: MOM

SINGAPORE: The proportion of job vacancies for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) increased further last year to 57.2 per cent, up from 56 per cent in 2022.

In 2013, the figure stood at 39.2 per cent.

"The steady increase in PMET share of job vacancies over the decade was a result of the higher demand for skilled workers," the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Monday (Mar 25) as it released its latest job vacancies report. 

The increased demand came from sectors such as information and communications, financial and insurance services, professional services, as well as health and social services.

As of December last year, there were 174 job vacancies for every 100 jobseekers. The number of vacancies also rose to 79,800 after six consecutive quarters of decline from the record high in March 2022.

JOBS IN DEMAND

Software, web and multimedia developers ranked at the top of all PMET vacancies in 2023.

Mr Ang Boon Heng, director of the Manpower Research and Statistics Department, said there are still many vacancies in the tech sector despite news of retrenchments.

"Going forward, I think with the rapid advancement of the AI and digitalisation trends, these tech-focused jobs will remain in strong demand," he said.

There were also more job openings for business development and sales professionals as companies sought to expand and improve the efficiency of their processes, the ministry added.

Demand for registered nurses and enrolled nurses remained strong as well, with the continued expansion of the healthcare sector.

Employers were willing to pay more to fill these in-demand positions, compared to the year before, MOM said.

The range of wages for software, web and multimedia developers rose, starting at S$5,000 last year, compared with S$4,200 the year before.

For non-PMET jobs, waiters, shop sales assistants and heavy truck and lorry drivers are among the roles with the highest vacancies. 

But it was also more difficult to fill waiter jobs, along with vacancies for cleaners, receptionists, customer service and information clerks, healthcare assistants and bus drivers.

Reasons provided include unattractive pay and physically strenuous tasks.

Overall, the proportion of job vacancies that went unfilled for six months or more fell.

MOM said there has been success in the efforts to alleviate the manpower crunch for non-PMET jobs through access to foreign manpower, technology adoption, job redesign, skills upgrading and efforts to raise wages through the Progressive Wage Model.

For PMETs, it was easier to fill vacancies such as management executives, operations research analysts and administration managers.

INCREASE IN NEWLY CREATED POSITIONS

Newly created positions made up 47.3 per cent of all job vacancies, compared with 38.7 per cent in 2022. 

"This is quite a significant jump," said Mr Ang.

In 2021, 43.6 per cent of vacancies were newly created, but the figure fell in 2022 as companies filled positions that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Replacement positions still made up the majority of vacancies, although newly created positions are at their highest since MOM started tracking the indicator in 2018.

"The majority of these newly created positions arose due to business expansion into existing and new functions," MOM said.

"This reflects the evolving nature of our economy and the accompanying changes in manpower demand."

Hiring practices may also be changing.

For the first time, employers surveyed were asked if they were open to hiring candidates with qualifications lower than what was required for the position. More than 68 per cent of employers said they were open to doing so if the applicants possessed relevant work experience, skills or attitude.

"This suggests that while academic qualifications are still relevant in hiring decisions, there is an increased willingness among employers to also consider applicants' relevant experience and skillsets," MOM said.