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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Expert: Job market to stay robust
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Alvin Foo, Markets Correspondent
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THE labour market will remain robust despite the United States financial tsunami, although prospects will not be as good as they were six months ago, said human resource (HR) expert James Mendes.
Competition will be most intense for workers in the luxury retail, food and beverage, and hotel sectors, with the integrated resorts (IRs) coming on stream in the second half of next year.
Mr Mendes, the Asia-Pacific managing director for HR firm Alexander Mann Solutions, said that three out of every four companies he had spoken to in Singapore had turned 'more conservative in their hiring forecast' than they were three to six months ago.
'They are more considered in their hiring needs. You will have a slowdown in some areas and an imbalance in another with the integrated resorts,' he said.
Marina Bay Sands is on track to open by December next year, while Resorts World at Sentosa is expected to begin business in the first quarter of 2010.
Mr Mendes, who is based in Hong Kong, anticipated the two IRs to generate up to 30,000 new jobs, with at least 30 per cent going to non-Singaporeans.
He believed this would create a labour crunch in casino workers, chefs, food and beverage staff, luxury retail store management, and hotel front office staff that will intensify after next June.
'You're hiring a large number of people in a short space of time. They are all competing for the same staff,' he added.
He advised local companies to plan ahead and diversify their sources of talent recruitment, while making sure they keep existing staff contented.
Mr Mendes, who has helped the likes of Microsoft and Bank of America, said: 'Businesses need to gear up strategically and utilise third parties and employee referrals to help them in their recruiting. They also must have strong, proactive, diversified channels of sourcing for talent.' The growth of Macau's gaming industry will also mean that Singapore may find it more challenging to hire casino workers next year.
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Alvin Foo, Markets Correspondent
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->
THE labour market will remain robust despite the United States financial tsunami, although prospects will not be as good as they were six months ago, said human resource (HR) expert James Mendes.
Competition will be most intense for workers in the luxury retail, food and beverage, and hotel sectors, with the integrated resorts (IRs) coming on stream in the second half of next year.
Mr Mendes, the Asia-Pacific managing director for HR firm Alexander Mann Solutions, said that three out of every four companies he had spoken to in Singapore had turned 'more conservative in their hiring forecast' than they were three to six months ago.
'They are more considered in their hiring needs. You will have a slowdown in some areas and an imbalance in another with the integrated resorts,' he said.
Marina Bay Sands is on track to open by December next year, while Resorts World at Sentosa is expected to begin business in the first quarter of 2010.
Mr Mendes, who is based in Hong Kong, anticipated the two IRs to generate up to 30,000 new jobs, with at least 30 per cent going to non-Singaporeans.
He believed this would create a labour crunch in casino workers, chefs, food and beverage staff, luxury retail store management, and hotel front office staff that will intensify after next June.
'You're hiring a large number of people in a short space of time. They are all competing for the same staff,' he added.
He advised local companies to plan ahead and diversify their sources of talent recruitment, while making sure they keep existing staff contented.
Mr Mendes, who has helped the likes of Microsoft and Bank of America, said: 'Businesses need to gear up strategically and utilise third parties and employee referrals to help them in their recruiting. They also must have strong, proactive, diversified channels of sourcing for talent.' The growth of Macau's gaming industry will also mean that Singapore may find it more challenging to hire casino workers next year.
