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Nursing jobs among top positions unfilled for at least 6 months in 2020: MOM report

SINGAPORE — Nursing jobs were the top positions unfilled for at least six months last year, a report by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has found. The healthcare sector is expected to expand to meet the growing needs of the population.

A report by the Ministry of Manpower found that the positions of registered nurse, enrolled nurse and healthcare assistant positions were the hardest to fill among professionals, managers, executives and technicians jobs in Singapore.

A report by the Ministry of Manpower found that the positions of registered nurse, enrolled nurse and healthcare assistant positions were the hardest to fill among professionals, managers, executives and technicians jobs in Singapore.

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  • Registered nurse, enrolled nurses and healthcare assistants positions were harder to fill among PMET jobs 
  • These findings were released as part of MOM’s annual job vacancy report
  • A total of 14,480 establishments employing some two million employees were polled late 2020
  • The report found that 27 per cent of job vacancies were unfilled for six months or more in 2020

 

SINGAPORE — Nursing jobs were the top positions unfilled for at least six months last year, a report by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has found. The healthcare sector is expected to expand to meet the growing needs of the population.

The positions of registered nurse, enrolled nurse and healthcare assistant positions were the hardest to fill among professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) jobs here.

The main reasons were competition from other prospective employers as well as workers’ preference for more regular work arrangements.

These findings were released on Friday (April 9) as part of MOM’s annual job vacancy report, which detailed the type and nature of positions that employers are looking to fill, the type of jobs in demand and difficulties in filling these jobs.

A total of 14,480 establishments employing some two million employees were polled between September and November last year, around the time Singapore was gradually recovering from the impact of the coronavirus.

The report found that 27 per cent of job vacancies were unfilled for six months or more in 2020, a slight dip from the previous year (28 per cent). 

For PMETs, the top five positions unfilled for at least six months were:

  1. Registered nurse and other nursing professional

  2. Enrolled or assistant nurse

  3. Software, web and multimedia developer

  4. Systems analyst

  5. Manufacturing engineering and technician

Employers commonly cited the lack of necessary skills (43.6 per cent) and work experience (32.8 per cent), especially in positions that require technical knowledge, as top reasons these PMET positions were unfilled. 

For non-PMETs, the top five positions unfilled for at least six months were:

  1. Cleaner

  2. Construction labourer

  3. Security guard

  4. Shop sales assistant

  5. Waiter

Workers were commonly deterred by the physically strenuous job (42.1 per cent), unattractive pay (38.8 per cent) and non-conducive working environment (36 per cent).

LOOKING BEYOND QUALIFICATIONS

When recruiting, employers are also increasingly looking beyond their prospective employee’s qualifications. 

In fact, seven in 10 employers said they did not use academic qualifications as the main consideration when filling up vacancies, although employers are more likely to do so for PMET jobs. 

For PMET jobs, the percentage of employers who look beyond qualifications increased from 50.6 per cent in 2019 to 59.5 per cent in 2020. 

In the case of non-PMET jobs, 87.9 per cent of employers look beyond qualifications in 2020, up from 84.8 per cent in 2019.

Asked why they did not view qualifications as the main consideration, the majority of employers indicated that relevant skills and work experience matter more as this enables the candidate to perform the job almost immediately. They also consider a candidate’s skills and attitude.

“There is, however, evidence to suggest that while qualifications are not the main consideration, employers continue to use it as a filter for selecting candidates for interviews,” the report noted.

JOBS IN DEMAND

The report found that among the job openings in 2020, 45 per cent of positions were newly created following efforts by firms to restructure and expand roles in their workforce.

Among the new job vacancies created, a majority — or 76 per cent — were for permanent positions.

The percentage of fixed-term contract positions also rose over the year from 18 per cent in 2019 to 24 per cent in 2020.

This is led by sectors such as healthcare and social services, where the Covid-19 pandemic created new and temporary manpower needs, which include supporting increased testing and healthcare functions.

Among PMET jobs in demand were:

  • Software, web and multimedia developers

  • Systems analysts

  • Marketing professionals

  • Cybersecurity professionals

Meanwhile, non-PMET jobs in demand include:

  • Cleaners

  • Security guards

  • Shop sales assistants

REMOTE WORKING

With the pandemic making flexible work arrangements a norm, about four in 10 job vacancies in 2020 were found to involve work that could be done remotely.

While this is a possibility for PMET roles, only 6 per cent of non-PMET roles were suitable for remote work as most require employees to be onsite, either for service delivery or operating machinery. 

Reiterating these findings, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said on Thursday that the Government has been paying attention to remote working trends and its developments around the world.

She was responding to a question on whether companies should continue flexible work arrangements given that some vacancies involved work that could be done remotely.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Eurasia Global Food in 21 Tuas West Drive, Mrs Teo added:  “I would say that Covid-19 demonstrated the possibility for many kinds of jobs or tasks to be equally and effectively performed anywhere, not just at the workplace.

“But to what degree remote work becomes a permanent feature of any person’s work-life depends on the job they are performing, the company’s preferred approach and the industry norms — all of these will continue to evolve.”

She noted that as more job vacancies open up due to business expansion, restructuring and job redesign, employers may seek prospective employees with new skill sets. 

“If many employers are looking for the same new skills, then it stands to reason that these employers will find it quite difficult to fill those vacancies.”

Mrs Teo also pointed out that the share of vacancies that remained unfilled after six months is declining.

However, the situation eased only slightly in 2020 despite more job seekers being available.

“While there are challenges, there are also opportunities. For jobseekers, a willingness to re-skill will be increasingly necessary. For employers, a willingness to redesign roles and reskill existing or new staff will also be increasingly necessary.”

TODAY has sought comment from healthcare groups on which specific areas of nursing were most difficult to fill.

Related topics

healthcare nurse PMET Jobs MOM

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