Fifty-eight percent of local respondents are confident that they will have more job opportunities to consider in the later half of this year.

Randstad recently released the results of their H1 2021 Workmonitor survey in Singapore. The bi-annual survey highlights the workforce’s latest sentiments and perceptions of the local job market.

More than 3 in 5 respondents believe they will have more job opportunities after they receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Sixty-two percent of local respondents agreed that they will have more employment opportunities in the future if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, only 49 percent of respondents in Hong Kong SAR felt the same way.

Ms. Jaya Dass, Managing Director for Randstad Malaysia and Singapore said, “The vaccination roll out programme in Singapore has clearly injected a new level of confidence and assurance in our workforce. This sentiment is in line with the improving business confidence that we’ve observed since Q4 2020, where more companies started to hire new headcounts. As economic prospects become more optimistic, we can expect the uptick in hiring activities to reach pre-COVID levels in Singapore soon.”

See also: Getting Vaccinated or Not Could Affect Your Employment Opportunities, Survey Finds

7 in 10 respondents want to return to the workplace in a post COVID-19 environment

Seventy percent of respondents in Singapore said they would head back to their workplace once it is possible to do so. This is the lowest in the region, with 92 percent of respondents in Mainland China and 85 percent respondents in Malaysia and Hong Kong SAR echoing this sentiment.

Their hesitation to return to the workplace could be attributed to health and safety reasons. Two in three local respondents (67 percent) indicated their preference to continue working from home until the COVID-19 vaccine has been widely distributed to the population. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they would feel unsafe at their workplace until others around them have been inoculated against COVID-19.

Dass said, “There is a different type of energy when working in the office. Employees are able to interact with one another in person, have more on-the-job learning opportunities, and for some, help draw a clear line between work and home. Employers will need to design new and inclusive workplace policies to protect both vaccinated and unvaccinated employees, while meeting the workforce’s increasing expectations for remote work.”

“The pandemic has irrevocably changed their expectations of work. More employees now prefer greater work autonomy and flexibility to choose their work schedule and location. It should not come as a surprise to employers that some workers will expect remote work to continue even after the pandemic and are willing to switch employers if they are not given the option to exercise their work flexibility.”

Read also: Malaysia Govt to Allow Vaccinated Workers Go Back to Office