In the latest EDB survey of business expectations for the third quarter of 2021, manufacturing establishments were found to be generally optimistic about business conditions for the rest of the year, with the electronics cluster being the most optimistic due to robust demand from cloud services, 5G and data centres.
Within the next decade, government support will help the manufacturing sector grow by 50% of its current value, and maintain its significant share of the GDP. This will require sustaining investments in research and development, digitalisation and advanced manufacturing. The industry will also need to prioritise the production of high-quality products rather than competing with other manufacturing hubs on offering the most competitive prices.
labour market insights in the manufacturing sector
1. labour shortage in manufacturing space
Strict border entry rules and mobility restrictions are causing a shortage of workers in the manufacturing sector. In the past, companies had much more latitude to augment their workforces by hiring foreign workers.
However, with stricter guidelines, hiring from overseas has become less feasible. To counter tighter restrictions on hiring from overseas, training programmes are being rolled out to upskill and encourage more local talent to work for manufacturing firms. The companies’ digital roadmap will also help to attract more talent to join the industry and alleviate some of the workforce shortage woes.
2. more talent will be changing jobs
Because of the talent shortage, candidates can afford to be more discerning when appraising employment opportunities, and will likely reject offers that don’t quite meet their expectations.
Aside from competitive salaries, candidates will likely switch jobs if the employer will offer other employee benefits such as flexible working hours and more freedom to choose where they work from.
most in-demand roles in manufacturing
As the manufacturing sector ramps up production to keep pace with rising global demand, talent demand for workers with technical skills will keep growing.
In 2022, companies will be on the lookout for engineers and specialists, particularly those who are well-versed in analog design for integrated circuits (IC).
Other engineering and management roles that companies will be hiring for include those involved in:
- new product information (NPI)
- logistics operations
- mechanical design
- electrical design
- equipment service
- IC layout design
Other jobs experiencing increasing demand include operational excellence leads for manufacturing and logistics, demand planners, global category buyers, production technicians / specialists, technical writers, warehouse assistants / specialists and logistics and transportation analysts.
download the digital copy of the 2022 singapore’s job market outlook and salary snapshot report.
key manufacturing trends and industry outlook in 2022
- how job responsibilities and required skills have evolved in manufacturing to keep pace with the new changes in production and global demands
- anticipated job mobility of professionals across industries
- salary snapshots for 15 most in-demand manufacturing jobs in Singapore
read more on 2022 talent and salary trends in singapore in other industries:
The 2022 Market Outlook and Salary Snapshot report features the latest industry trends, hiring outlook, talent analysis and new post-pandemic salary benchmarks in the following high-growth industries:
- Information technology
- Manufacturing
- Banking & financial services
- Insurance
If finding exceptional talent for your business is a key challenge or if you want to take your workforce ready for the future of work, please get in touch with us. You can also check our key areas of recruitment expertise in manufacturing and supply chains. Alternatively, if you are looking for a career progression opportunity, you can submit your CV and our recruitment specialist will be happy to assist you.