Job seekers who want to work near their home or in a particular neighbourhood can turn to a new locally developed app for help.

Using the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology common in cars, the JobsRibbon smartphone app will show where the vacancies are in the preferred neighbourhood.

It was created with an eye on helping professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) as well as hiring companies to find what is right swiftly and efficiently, said Mr Nicholas Goh, chief executive of local start-up Verztec Media, which developed the app.

"Job seekers can also receive real-time notifications of new job opportunities on their mobile phones," Mr Goh added.

A five-man team took 11 months to develop what he called Singapore's first location- based job advertisement app.

The app is free. Likewise, simple listings by companies.

The Straits Times found 17 vacancies, mainly for PMETs such as product engineer and customer service officer, in the Central Business District area listed in the app in the past week.

Mr Goh expects the job listings to grow as word about the free app spreads.

Local business group Workforce Advancement Federation (WAF), a non-profit organisation, is partnering the start-up to promote the app among its members. Its chairman Chan Chong Beng sees "small and medium-sized enterprises using it to hire staff".

Toh Yong Chuan