SINGAPORE: A new study from business and employment networking platform LinkedIn has shown that more than 4 out of 5, or 86 per cent, of Singaporeans in professional jobs are thinking about getting a new job in 2024.
This is 15 per cent higher in comparison to the figure from last year, with the country’s youngest professionals making up the biggest group of those who say they’re considering switching to a new job.
From Nov 24 to Dec 12, 2023, LinkedIn polled 1,057 professionals in full-time or part-time employment in different areas in Singapore, with the age of respondents ranging between 18 and 77.
A whopping 95 per cent of Gen Z (ages 18 to 26) employees surveyed, along with 88 per cent of millennials (ages 27 to 32), said that they’re thinking of getting a new job this year.
The top two reasons the respondent gave were to achieve a a better work-life balance (35 per cent) as well as earn a better salary amid a challenging economic environment (46 per cent)..
“This signals a shift in attitudes where professionals are no longer willing to stick it out; instead, they’re taking ownership of their careers and want to make up for lost time by focusing on productivity and career growth,” LinkedIn pointed out.
The networking platform added that job search activity in Singapore went up by 19 per cent in 2023, in comparison to the previous year’s search numbers.
Interestingly, the professionals who participated in the survey expressed that they are more confident concerning their job prospects than they were in 2023, with half of them saying they are confident in their job searches should they decide to make a switch this year.
Moreover, 71 per cent of the Singapore professionals who are considering getting new jobs are also saying they may opt for a completely different job role or industry altogether.
When asked why, 42 per cent said they want to pursue other interests and 40 per cent said they’re keen on getting into an industry or a job that has better growth prospects. Another top reason participants gave was to add experience to make them more employable.
LinkedIn also recently published the top 15 jobs on the rise in Singapore, which include: Quantitative developer, Sustainability consultant, Security operations centre analyst, Real estate agent, Sales development representative, Business development representative, Infrastructure engineer, Cyber-security engineer, Site reliability engineer, and Back-end developer.
“The list uncovers the trends defining where the workforce is headed and insight into emerging opportunities — whether you’re looking to pivot, jump back into the workforce or invest in skills to future-proof your career,” LinkedIn says. /TISG
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