Latest data from Indeed, the leading global matching and hiring platform, shows that employment opportunities powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) are on the rise. By the end of March, one in 190 job openings in Singapore was related to generative artificial intelligence. Over the last three months, the percentage of posted workers has almost doubled.
“Singapore seems to have adopted these technologies faster than other countries around the world. The percentage of job adverts in Singapore mentioning GenAI is 4.3 times higher than in the United States, 4.7 times higher than in the UK and 6.5 times higher than in Australia. It is in the early stages, but Singapore has the potential to become a hub of GenAI expertise,” said Callam Pickering, senior APAC economist at Indeed.
Pickering said: “While we are clearly in the very early stages of these tools emerging, particularly as they relate to job creation, this will be a trend we will be watching closely in the coming months and years.”
Job advertisements in April
The number of job postings in Singapore on Indeed is up 0.4% compared to a month ago. This followed two vast declines in February and March. The number of job openings in Singapore is now 9.6% lower than a year ago, but still 62% higher than before the pandemic.
Job offers in every sector remain above their pre-pandemic baseline, and job offers in about a quarter of sectors are more than double their pre-pandemic levels.
“Even with the recent decline in postings, job growth in Singapore remains sturdy, which supports employment in Singapore and helps keep the unemployment rate low,” Pickering said.
The number of secondments remains good in every sector, even in those that are experiencing significant declines
Job postings have increased in around a third of job categories over the past three months, led by sturdy growth in nursing (+34%), health information (+33%), and beauty and wellness (+32%). Other sturdy results were cleaning and sanitation (=25%) and architecture (+21%).
In comparison, the number of positions decreased significantly in areas such as personal care and home health (-30%), manufacturing and production (-19%), human resources (-19%) and marketing (17%). Perhaps surprisingly, given the increased demand for nurses, we saw a 17% decline in job openings for physicians and surgeons.
Pickering said: “The labor market in Singapore remains extremely tight, with intense competition for talent across most job categories. We saw a moderate augment in job postings in April, bucking the broader downward trend of the past year. However, job postings are higher in every sector, providing ample opportunities for job seekers of all backgrounds and experience levels. Overall, unemployment in Singapore remains low and skills shortages are common. Recruitment is still a massive challenge, but with the number of job offers down by 9.6% over the last year, we can say that it is no longer as hard as it was a year ago.”
