Sharon Salim

Business Correspondent

As a business correspondent with The Straits Times, Sharon helps readers navigate work and life, focusing on jobs, manpower policies, workplace culture and trends. She had a fulfilling stint at one of the world’s largest environmental non-profit organisations, World Wide Fund for Nature, before joining CNA Women and becoming part of their pioneering team, writing about issues that impact women. She then joined the public service before returning to the newsroom two years later, in 2024. 

Latest articles

Pastry chef at a hospital: He bakes food for the soul

I asked ST colleagues about their biggest financial regrets. Here are some (very) honest answers

Responses range from over-pampering their kids to impulsive or emotional spending on everyday expenses.

More flexible foreign manpower policies, enhanced AI adoption on SNEF’s Budget 2026 wish list

SNEF president Tan Hee Teck said the recommendations are focused on helping businesses adapt to a more digital and AI-enabled economy.

S’pore firms to keep pay rises steady at 3% to 6% in 2026; some plan smaller bonuses: HR firms

Similar to the outlook for 2025, HR firms said companies remain cautious in pay planning due to economic uncertainty.

Singapore sees more retrenchments in third quarter as job vacancies continued to drop

The Ministry of Manpower said the percentage of firms planning redundancies, resulting in retrenchments, has risen from 1.9 per cent in June to 2.3 per cent in September.

Meet the man with the festive touch for Christmas Wonderland

Nearly 3 in 5 Singapore employers plan to freeze headcount in 2026: SNEF survey

CMG20250922-HoKJ01Generic shots of white collar workers around CBD for 施政方针辩论 or general stories on economy, finance, jobs, workers, income, salary, tax, employment, inflation, workforce, white collar, wage, singapore , 经济,员工,薪水,市区, 中央商业区内 人潮、上班族 Reemploying jobseekers in Singapore can involve participating in the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) Scheme or the Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs), both supported by Workforce Singapore (WSG).

About 3% of S'pore workers have worked overseas full-time for at least 6 months: MOM

Nearly one in five (18.3 per cent) worked in Mainland China in their latest overseas stint, most commonly in the manufacturing sector.

Fewer people in S’pore changed jobs in 2025; 60% of those who did enjoyed pay bumps

Notably, there were fewer employed younger people - ages 25 to 29 - who were actively looking for a new job..

Real median income in S’pore rose 4.3% in 2025 as workers in permanent jobs hit new high

The trends indicate that Singapore’s labour market is stable despite a more uncertain external environment, the Ministry of Manpower said.