Online hiring in Singapore continued to see a double-digit growth event in April 2019, according to the most recent Monster Employment Index (MEI) which shows a rise of 13 percent year-on-year.

The IT, telecom, BPO/ITES industry is leading other sectors with a 39 percent Y-o-Y increase in demand for online hiring in April 2019. While advertising, market research, public relations, media, and entertainment also experienced a 25 percent annual growth in the region.

The surprising sectors were the shipping and marine industry that has seen a tremendous rise in demand since March 2013 and saw an 8 percent increase in April 2019.

The Monster Employment Index measures the monthly online job hiring activity in particular regions. It also shows the various industries and job roles that are hiring more.

HR and admin job roles saw a growth of six percent in April, thus, seeing a boost in the demand for these roles for the second month in a row. Software, hardware, and telecom related job roles were the ones with the highest demand with a steep 27 percent annual growth. However, the real estate sector saw a major decline in demand with a 10 percent drop in April 2019 as compared to April 2018.

“Rapid technological change means employees have to adapt and upskill--quickly. While the government (in Singapore) instills a culture of lifelong learning, businesses too must share the load and invest in skill-focused initiatives and incentives to retrain current staff,” said Abhijeet Mukherjee, CEO, APAC and the Middle East, Monster.com.

Economic restructuring and global geopolitical forces also have an impact on Singapore’s hiring sentiments to remain on the cautiously positive side, Mukherjee added.