Summary:

Asia Competitiveness Institute partnered JobTech to analyse real-time trends in the Singapore labour market. Our study of the job posting data from 2018 to 2021 finds the largest increase in demand for skills related to the STEM fields, such as scripting languages (Python), programming languages (Java), and software development. In contrast, the demand for non-STEM skills declined, except for SAP (an enterprise resource planning software).

The data suggest that STEM skills, particularly programming and machine learning, are in high demand. This calls for efforts to train students and workers in these skills to help the workforce thrive in the digital economy.

Highlights:

• Online job postings complement labour market data and official statistics as they help shed light on job requirements such as skills and qualifications in a timelier manner.
• Increase in demand for skills related to the STEM fields, such as scripting languages (Python), programming languages (Java), and software development.
• Other fast-growing STEM-related skills relate to data analytics and cloud computing (e.g. Azure).
• Demand for professional and administrative skills such as sales and liaison declined considerably.

Article By Jing Zhi LIM

Graphic By Yixuan GE