Technology talent remained highly sought-after in 2022, even as the global tech industry grappled with flagging growth and even big job cuts, the latest report by the Manpower Ministry on annual job vacancies show. — Bloomberg
SINGAPORE: If you are a software, web and multimedia developer, or a software and applications manager, chances are Singapore companies are going to be fighting to hire you.
Technology talent remained highly sought-after in 2022, even as the global tech industry grappled with flagging growth and even big job cuts, the latest report by the Manpower Ministry on annual job vacancies show.
Nearly seven in 10 of all vacancies in information and communications were new positions – the highest level across all sectors for the third year running.
This demonstrates the restructuring that has taken place in the sector and its dynamism, said the ministry in its report released yesterday.
Overall, the number of job vacancies declined for the third consecutive quarter ended December to 104,500, it said.
However, this level remained elevated compared to the 51,100 in December 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry noted.
While the total number of job vacancies rose in 2022, the proportion of vacancies unfilled for at least six months declined from 35% in 2021 to 27% in 2022, as border restrictions and safe management rules were lifted.
Non-professional, managerial, executive and technical (PMET) vacancies registered a sharper decline compared to vacancies for professional, managerial, executive and technical jobs as employers were able to hire foreign workers to back-fill those vacancies.
This also resulted in the proportion of replacement vacancies climbing from 56% in 2021 to 61% in 2022.
But the ministry noted that the number of vacancies for new positions in 2022 rose compared to 2019 as businesses continued to expand or restructure.
Going forward though, job vacancies are expected to moderate as while hiring sentiments remain positive, global economic headwinds will weigh on labour demand.
For last year, tech jobs that saw particularly robust demand included software, web and multimedia developers, which ranked second after management executives for PMET roles with the most vacancies recorded in 2022.
Other tech roles companies were keen to hire included software and applications managers, which came in sixth, and systems analysts in eighth place.
These positions typically require applicants to possess strong technical skills such as knowledge of programming languages like Java, C++ or Python, and some experience or knowledge of the work processes involved, the report said.
Last year also saw a rise in demand for network infrastructure and support roles such as information technology (IT) support technicians and IT infrastructure specialists.
There was also a stable and large pool of job openings for business development and sales positions, such as management executives, commercial and marketing sales executives, and business development managers.
“These jobs have remained in the top 10 PMET vacancies since 2020. They remain crucial in supporting businesses in their venture to new growth areas,” said the ministry.
It also said that the number of vacancies for PMETs in 2022 was almost double that in 2019. — The Straits Times/ANN
