Singapore’s general labour market to see uptick in 2021

The sectors that are expected to show growth are healthcare, biotech and logistics, he said, adding the caveat that this would depend on how the world recovers from the pandemic. 

Other sectors that will stay in “survival and sustainability modes” are aviation and aerospace, including engineering services that support these sectors, as well as hospitality and tourism.  

Ng, who is the secretary general of The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), said: “Generally, most workers, most businesses will see the uptick.”  

NTUC’s strategy for workers is to make them future-proof by keeping up with technology developments and adapting to the new skills required in the current landscape, he said. 

Ng urged workers to have a growth mindset regardless of whether they are in a growth sector or a challenged one, adding that workers should seek out training opportunities to expand their skill sets to adapt to 2021 and beyond. 

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Concurring, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) president Robert Yap said: “If (workers are) open-minded, they adopt lifelong learning, willing to skill and reskill, I think there is no problem in Singaporeans finding jobs.” 

Both Ng and Yap also stressed that while workers need to constantly improve themselves, businesses too must embrace transformation, in terms of evolving both their work processes as well as work environments, said the Straits Times.