SINGAPORE - About 12,700 employers are on the register of the national Jobs Bank portal as of September, which is two months after its launch.
This response is "very encouraging", Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said on Tuesday, adding that about 80 per cent of the employers have been actively posting job vacancies.
He gave these figures in a written reply to Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC), who had asked what was being done to raise awareness about the portal among employers, and to improve its effectiveness in helping more Singaporeans get employed.
Mr Tan said the Workforce Development Agency will continue to work with industry partners such as employer groups and unions, to coax companies to use the free Jobs Bank website (www.jobsbank.gov.sg) for hiring workers.
More than 80 per cent of the portal's 62,100 "live" vacancies as of September were reportedly suitable for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
Under the Fair Consideration Framework, which took effect in August, companies that want to hire foreign professionals must prove they have tried to hire Singaporeans by advertising on the website for at least 14 days.
Those with 25 or fewer workers, or those hiring for jobs paying $12,000 and more a month, will be exempted from the rules.
The new framework was establisehd after Singaporeans voiced unhappiness about foreigners taking away good-paying PME jobs from locals.
"Singaporean job seekers are now able to make job applications directly through the Jobs Bank for a substantial list of job openings," said Mr Tan.
"The feedback from both employers and job seekers has been positive. It is a good start, and we hope more employers and Singaporean job seekers will use it over time."
