New technologies are expected to create more jobs going into 2020, indicating that the rise of machines isn’t simply taking away jobs, but rather changing the definition of existing roles and creating new ones, independent research by specialised recruiter Robert Half shows.
Survey results show that over two-thirds (68%) of Singaporean business leaders think technology will create permanent jobs in their teams throughout 2020. This is 4% above the average across 13 markets surveyed.
While still predominantly optimistic, business leaders are somewhat less positive about temporary and contract roles, with more than four in 10 (42%) foreseeing that technology will create new temporary and contract roles in 2020, in line with the global average (also 42%).
More than one-third (36%) of Singaporean business leaders think there will be no net change and 22% believe temporary and contract jobs will get lost, which again corresponds with the view of their global peers.
While automation will continue to disrupt workplaces and contribute to job loss in some sectors, jobs for technically skilled professionals are set to increase.
New technological developments across high-speed mobile internet, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and cloud technology require additional skilled professionals to develop and implement them. This, in turn, creates and will continue to create more job opportunities for professionals with an agile mindset and appetite to develop emerging technical skills.
Business leaders in Singapore and globally were asked to indicate tech specialisms experiencing “high to urgent demand” in their IT departments. The six skills that came out on top were cloud technologies, business intelligence and reporting services, database management, DevOps, and Agile.
The top five emerging roles include data scientists, cyber-security specialists, user-experience designers, head of digital, and content specialists.
“Going into 2020, digital transformation will continue to put ongoing pressure on companies to quickly evolve their workforces to harness the benefits,” says Matthieu Imbert-Bouchard, managing director of Robert Half Singapore.
