Fewer Singapore employers plan to increase headcount next year: Survey
PUBLISHED: 8:55 PM, DECEMBER 20, 2016 UPDATED: 12:22 PM, DECEMBER 21, 2016
SINGAPORE — Fewer companies in Singapore plan to increase headcount next year, initial findings from a survey showed on Tuesday (Dec 20), a reflection of the current uncertain economic climate.
According to a survey on 2017 employment trends by international recruitment consultancy Michael Page, about one in three employers in Singapore – or 36 per cent – plan to ramp up hiring next year, down from 49 per cent in the 2016 survey. Meanwhile, 57 per cent of companies indicated they plan to maintain headcount in 2017 while 7 per cent said they will cut staffing, the survey showed.
The survey underscores the challenges facing Singapore’s labour market amid slower gross domestic product growth at home and sluggish global economic conditions. The latest labour market report from the Ministry of Manpower released last week showed that total employment expanded by just 14,500 in the first nine months of this year, the slowest growth since the 2009 global financial crisis. Jobseekers also continued to outnumber the vacancies available for the second quarter in a row.
Michael Page’s 2017 Asia Salary & Employment Outlook survey contained responses from nearly 450 employers in Singapore across various industries. The full report - which will be launched in February - will also contain market insights and recruitment trends from more than 3,400 respondents in Asia.
The initial findings released on Tuesday showed that among those planning to increase headcount next year, six in 10 are looking to hire at middle management level. The majority of companies - 63 per cent - also said they plan to offer employees a 1 to 5 per cent salary increase, while 15 per cent said they do not plan a pay hike.
Hiring is expected to be dominated by the digital, technology and healthcare sectors.
“Digital, technology and healthcare are likely to be the country’s fastest-growing industries due to the Government’s pledged efforts to boost investment in these sectors. As a result, employers across these three sectors are likely to continue hiring actively, though recruitment efforts will largely focus on filling niche roles,” said Mr Anthony Thompson, regional managing director of Greater China, South East Asia & India at Michael Page.
These niche technical requirements, combined with requests from hiring managers for solid industry experience, are likely to result in fierce competition for a limited pool of talent next year, the report said.
Meanwhile, a separate survey by recruitment agency Randstad released on Tuesday showed that employees in Singapore were less optimistic than global peers about how their employers would perform financially next year.
About 56 per cent of employees in Singapore said they expect their employers to perform better financially in 2017, compared with the global average of 69 per cent, Randstad’s Workmonitor research report showed. This also compares with the 59 per cent in Hong Kong and 70 per cent in Malaysia.
“Retrenchments and hiring freezes as well as news of major global issues, such as Brexit and the US elections, have kept employees taking a more cautionary stance with regards to their expectations for the coming year,” said Mr Michael Smith, managing director for Randstad Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Wet days expected over the next two weeks
Wet days expected over the next two weeks
PUBLISHED: 10:05 PM, DECEMBER 16, 2016 UPDATED: 12:48 PM, DECEMBER 17, 2016
SINGAPORE — Expect more rainy days ahead; it looks like the last two weeks of the year is going to be wetter than the first half of December.
Short-duration thundery showers can be expected on seven to nine days over the next fortnight, mostly between the late morning and afternoon, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said.
On one or two days, there could also be widespread thundery showers and gusty winds during the predawn and morning hours as the northeast monsoon continues to prevail.
The daily maximum temperature is expected to range between 32°C and 33°C on most days, but could also reach a high of 34°C. On some rainy days, the daily minimum temperature is expected to be cool and range between 22°C and 24°C.
Although December is the early phase of the North-east here, which typically brings more rain, rainfall in the first half of December was “significantly below normal”, the weatherman said.
- wong chee tat :)
PUBLISHED: 10:05 PM, DECEMBER 16, 2016 UPDATED: 12:48 PM, DECEMBER 17, 2016
SINGAPORE — Expect more rainy days ahead; it looks like the last two weeks of the year is going to be wetter than the first half of December.
Short-duration thundery showers can be expected on seven to nine days over the next fortnight, mostly between the late morning and afternoon, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said.
On one or two days, there could also be widespread thundery showers and gusty winds during the predawn and morning hours as the northeast monsoon continues to prevail.
The daily maximum temperature is expected to range between 32°C and 33°C on most days, but could also reach a high of 34°C. On some rainy days, the daily minimum temperature is expected to be cool and range between 22°C and 24°C.
Although December is the early phase of the North-east here, which typically brings more rain, rainfall in the first half of December was “significantly below normal”, the weatherman said.
- wong chee tat :)
Average of 5 cats found dead monthly after falling from a height: CWS
Average of 5 cats found dead monthly after falling from a height: CWS
Posted 21 Dec 2016 21:12 Updated 21 Dec 2016 21:24
A cat rescued from a ledge (Screengrab of video courtesy of Richard Ng)
SINGAPORE: An average of five cats are found dead in Singapore each month after falling from a height and most of these are pet cats, the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said, stressing the importance of home owners meshing up windows to prevent such deaths.
Speaking to Channel NewsAsia on Wednesday (Dec 21), CWS committee member Veron Lau said the estimates are based on alerts sent to CWS, as well as from posts on social media.
About 95 per cent of the cats killed in such a manner are pet cats rather than community cats which roam around the estate and are taken care of by designated feeders, said CWS senior outreach manager Laura Ann Meranda. Typically, when a cat has fallen from a height, there will be blood around its mouth, wounds on its back, and its chest will be compressed in a certain manner, she added.
"We usually do not classify (such cases) as abuse unless there is a witness as it would be speculation, but blunt trauma at jaw and chest is usually ascertained to be fallen from height - thrown or otherwise," said Ms Lau.
Last week, a resident in Marsiling alleged that her pet cat was thrown from a block of flats, in a "senseless act of violence" by an unknown perpetrator. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has said it is investigating.
CWS' Ms Meranda said generally, it is difficult to tell if a cat fell by itself, or was thrown from a high spot, but to find out if it was an act of menace, CWS will look at the location where the cat was found to see if it was near a block with a ledge or window, or if it has other wounds such as stab wounds or rope around its body parts.
DEALING WITH DEAD OR DISTRESSED CAT CASES
Typically, CWS finds out about these cases through members of the public who alert their town council when they find a dead cat in their estate. The town council gets in touch with CWS to get it removed, and the group's members will take photos and put up posters around the estate and post notices on social media to find the cat's owner - or feeder, if it is a community cat, Ms Meranda said.
Thereafter, the cat's caregiver will decide if the cat's body should be sent for an autopsy to determine its cause of death, or to get it cremated.
CWS said it strongly advocates keeping pet cats indoors and meshing up windows and gates, sharing video of a dramatic rescue of a cat which had fallen onto an apartment ledge.
Ms Lau told Channel NewsAsia that CWS frequently gets calls to help rescue cats and relies on contract trappers for assistance.
It also takes care to ensure that people who foster cats put up for adoption have properly meshed up windows in their homes. "The cats under foster care are usually placed in a cage because it's better to have them in a confined space before they get used to a larger space, but we normally walk the (people fostering) through the process of taking care of the cats and if they did not mesh up their windows, we will advise them to," she said.
- CNA/dl
- wong chee tat :)
Posted 21 Dec 2016 21:12 Updated 21 Dec 2016 21:24
A cat rescued from a ledge (Screengrab of video courtesy of Richard Ng)
SINGAPORE: An average of five cats are found dead in Singapore each month after falling from a height and most of these are pet cats, the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said, stressing the importance of home owners meshing up windows to prevent such deaths.
Speaking to Channel NewsAsia on Wednesday (Dec 21), CWS committee member Veron Lau said the estimates are based on alerts sent to CWS, as well as from posts on social media.
About 95 per cent of the cats killed in such a manner are pet cats rather than community cats which roam around the estate and are taken care of by designated feeders, said CWS senior outreach manager Laura Ann Meranda. Typically, when a cat has fallen from a height, there will be blood around its mouth, wounds on its back, and its chest will be compressed in a certain manner, she added.
"We usually do not classify (such cases) as abuse unless there is a witness as it would be speculation, but blunt trauma at jaw and chest is usually ascertained to be fallen from height - thrown or otherwise," said Ms Lau.
Last week, a resident in Marsiling alleged that her pet cat was thrown from a block of flats, in a "senseless act of violence" by an unknown perpetrator. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has said it is investigating.
CWS' Ms Meranda said generally, it is difficult to tell if a cat fell by itself, or was thrown from a high spot, but to find out if it was an act of menace, CWS will look at the location where the cat was found to see if it was near a block with a ledge or window, or if it has other wounds such as stab wounds or rope around its body parts.
DEALING WITH DEAD OR DISTRESSED CAT CASES
Typically, CWS finds out about these cases through members of the public who alert their town council when they find a dead cat in their estate. The town council gets in touch with CWS to get it removed, and the group's members will take photos and put up posters around the estate and post notices on social media to find the cat's owner - or feeder, if it is a community cat, Ms Meranda said.
Thereafter, the cat's caregiver will decide if the cat's body should be sent for an autopsy to determine its cause of death, or to get it cremated.
CWS said it strongly advocates keeping pet cats indoors and meshing up windows and gates, sharing video of a dramatic rescue of a cat which had fallen onto an apartment ledge.
Ms Lau told Channel NewsAsia that CWS frequently gets calls to help rescue cats and relies on contract trappers for assistance.
It also takes care to ensure that people who foster cats put up for adoption have properly meshed up windows in their homes. "The cats under foster care are usually placed in a cage because it's better to have them in a confined space before they get used to a larger space, but we normally walk the (people fostering) through the process of taking care of the cats and if they did not mesh up their windows, we will advise them to," she said.
- CNA/dl
- wong chee tat :)
McAfee DAT version = 8385 (dec 20th 2016)
McAfee DAT version = 8385 (dec 20th 2016)
Link: here ( Select Yes. And it keeps getting updated daily. Region=US)
- wong chee tat :)
Link: here ( Select Yes. And it keeps getting updated daily. Region=US)
- wong chee tat :)
Song for remembering the 24 Solar Terms:
Chūn yǔ jīnɡ chūn qīnɡ ɡǔ tiān ，xià mǎn mánɡ xià shǔ xiānɡ lián。
春 雨 惊 春 清 谷 天， 夏 满 芒 夏 暑 相 连。
春 雨 惊 春 清 谷 天， 夏 满 芒 夏 暑 相 连。
Qiū chù lù qiū hán shuānɡ jiànɡ ，dōnɡ xuě xuě dōnɡ xiǎo dà hán。
秋 处 露 秋 寒 霜 降， 冬 雪 雪 冬 小 大 寒。
秋 处 露 秋 寒 霜 降， 冬 雪 雪 冬 小 大 寒。
- wong chee tat :)
Dog Befriends Disabled Kitten
Feeling sad for the kitty. Hopefully the kitty is healthy and happy.
Be Strong, Kitty!
- wong chee tat :)
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