Almost one in four job seekers surveyed in Asia would choose to work in Singapore, which makes Singapore much more popular than any other major market.
RGF International Recruitment, an employment solutions provider, released a report which revealed that 24 percent of talent in the region prefer Singapore over locations such as China, Europe and North America. The study included 3,500 responses with comprehensive analysis of employers and candidates throughout 11 Asian markets to examine trends within the industries and countries. The list of countries includes Singapore, India, Japan, The Philippines, and more.
Singapore was seen to be the most popular choice for Indonesians, having 38 percent of them indicating that they would want to work there if given the chance. Thailand followed with 35 percent, Malaysia with 33 percent, with Japan, India, and mainland China not far behind (30, 29, and 15 percent respectively.
Mainland China was also found to be another preferred destination for workers around Asia, with 43 percent of those surveyed in Taiwan, and 26 percent in Hong Kong indicating that mainland China would be their top choice. 21 percent of Singaporeans also chose mainland China.
“Talent love to move around – for new experiences, to gain new skills, or perhaps to simply get away from less-than-desirable employment conditions in their home countries,” RGF said.
The aspects that make Singapore appealing to foreign workers include advancements in med-tech in the healthcare and life sciences industries, along with competitive salaries and strong career prospects. Technology and telecommunications are also very popular with them.
RGF found that 83 percent of local talent expect a salary increase while switching jobs, with the average expected pay raise being 17 percent. Along with this, another factor in switching jobs are “top caliber colleagues”, ensuring a good work environment.
As market overcrowding may arise as a problem in the future for Singapore, as many Asian demographics prefer Singapore over others, employers have stated that their current problem is talent shortage, so it may very well balance itself out in years to come.
