Asia Job Index Q4 2014: The Number of Job Advertisements Grew 3%

Improved business confidence helped boost the number of job advertisements across the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Robert Walters Asia Job Index for Q4 2014. The research carried out in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Malaysia, tracking advertisement volumes for professional positions across the leading job boards and national newspapers. 

For the final quarter of 2014, the number of job advertisements in the Asia-Pacific region went up by 18%, as compared from the year earlier. With more multinationals establishing their operations in Asia, the research shows continued growth in core business functions such as IT, human resources, accounting, and finance. 

IT as well as product and logistics operations both saw the largest increase of 35% in job advertisements due to an increase in the establishment of IT data centres and broad growth of Asia’s manufacturing sector. In addition, the advertising volume for jobs in legal and compliance increased by 10% due to the continued burden of regulations across the financial services sector. 

In South Korea, the number of job advertisements in Q4 saw a modest growth of 3% from a year ago. 

Duncan Harrison, Country Manager South Korea, said:

“Changes in governmental policies have seen the South Korean government increasing its support for start-ups and other emerging companies in sectors such as gaming and online, a shift away from its traditional strong ties with the country’s large conglomerates.

Free-trade agreements between South Korea and economies including Canada, New Zealand and the UK have also encouraged many international companies to enter the market and open new offices – leading to more job opportunities.”

Key Findings for South Korea:

• The number of job advertisements grew 3% for Q4 2014, recovering from the contractions we saw in Q1 and Q2.
• Overall confidence in the South Korean economy has improved, with many retailers and luxury companies advertising for marketing positions grew by 9% from the previous year.
• Medical services continue to grow on the back of the country’s expanding aging populations, with a strong demand for medical representative positions or sales professionals.
• Digital marketing specialists remained highly sought-after due to an increase in online shopping activities.