SDS: Recruitment Agency
specialising in recruitment services for japanese speaking job seekers in Singapore

Asian job ads falls 3%
(2011 Q4 report by Robert Walters)

Robert Walters, one of the world's leading recruitment consultancies, launched its Asia Job Index for Q4 2011 on March 12, 2012.

Its analysis of recruitment advertisements across the leading job boards and national newspapers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Korea and Japan revealed that there was a seasonal dip in job advertisement levels in the last quarter of 2011. The drop from Q3 to Q4 was 3%.

Here are country-by-country trends in the Asia Job Index for Q4 2011:

Singapore: Contract hires were increased to reduce costs.
- 10% decrease in job advertisement volume from Q3 to Q4.
- Postponement in hiring until after the festive period.
- Weak or freeze in hiring for banking and finance sectors.
- Positive recruitment activity in the construction industry.

Hong Kong: Restrained recruitment activity with seasonal trends.
- 14% drop in job advertisement from Q3 to Q4.
- Sharp drop of 13% in job advertisements for property professionals due to the fall in property loan approvals in 2011.

Malaysia: Job recruitment increased in the medical science sector.
- Job advertisements for healthcare professionals increased by 16% and will continue to grow.
- 11% drop in total job advertisement volume from Q3 to Q4.
- Job positions for banking and finance professionals declined because of global economic uncertainty.
- New hiring opportunities expected as international companies expand their business to Malaysia as a new potential location.

China: Growth in niche areas and IT.
- 13% growth in IT service recruitment.
- 3% drop in total job advertisement volume from Q3 to Q4.
- Big cuts in the advertising and marketing industries.
- 20% job advertisement growth from Q4 2010 to Q4 2011.

Click here for the full report: www.asiajobindex.com. It is interesting to note that Robert Walters has an iPhone app with which you can check the salary index based on the salary survey. (http://www.robertwalters.com.sg/salarysurvey)