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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. 

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Latest articles

Top 300 employers recognised in new Singapore Opportunity Index for helping their workers grow

(From left) Singapore National Employers Federation president Tan Hee Teck, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Singapore Business Federation vice-chairman Mark Lee launching the Singapore Opportunity Index on Jan 21.
(From left) Singapore National Employers Federation president Tan Hee Teck, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Singapore Business Federation vice-chairman Mark Lee launching the Singapore Opportunity Index on Jan 21.

Budget 2026: Restaurant association seeks help with labour cost, to control excessive rent increases

ST20250924_202599000154/pixgenerics/Brian Teo/Generic of diners at Jurong Point on Sept 24, 2025. Can be used for stories on restaurants, food and beverage (F&B) businesses, sales, manpower crunch, finance, economy, domestic expenditure, singapore gross domestic product (GDP), budget. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO 
ST20250924_202599000154/pixgenerics/Brian Teo/Generic of diners at Jurong Point on Sept 24, 2025. Can be used for stories on restaurants, food and beverage (F&B) businesses, sales, manpower crunch, finance, economy, domestic expenditure, singapore gross domestic product (GDP), budget. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO 

‘It’s never boring’: More young people in S’pore drawn to skilled trades like farming, plumbing

(Clockwise from left) Farmer Daniel Yap, plumber Geraldine Goh and lift technician Muaaz Samat join a growing number of younger workers turning to traditional skilled trades.
(Clockwise from left) Farmer Daniel Yap, plumber Geraldine Goh and lift technician Muaaz Samat join a growing number of younger workers turning to traditional skilled trades.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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).

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.