‘Please employ our own people, you don’t need to import for this demand’ — Singaporeans react to news of “high demand” for new work positions in Q4

In response to recent news of a projected increase in the demand for job positions in the last quarter of the year, Singaporeans are calling on companies, urging them not to prioritise foreign workers.

After conducting a survey on 510 companies, ManpowerGroup Singapore found that fifty per cent of companies are projected to increase their hiring in the fourth quarter in order to address vacancies.

The projected hiring in banks, finance, insurance, and real estate companies was said to have increased, together with that of IT companies, as well as positions in customer service and relationship management roles. On the contrary, the education, health, social work, and government sectors have low demand for new hires.

In response to this, however, a handful of online users have questioned the seemingly positive news for Singaporeans looking for a job, asking whether the projected increase in job vacancies will benefit Singaporean citizens or foreign workers.

“Please employ our own people,” wrote one online user, “You don’t need to import for this demand.”

Others made reference to the new work pass for high-earners who make more than S$30,000 a month, which was launched in order to attract top-tier talent. “Sad it’s not a S$30k job for local Singaporeans,” said one.

Another highlighted the number of capable candidates in the Singaporean workforce, commenting, “We have more than the required numbers for customer service and relationship management personnel. What kind of expertise can these foreign talents impart to Singaporean citizens?”

Still, others zoomed in on the relationship management position.