SINGAPORE — In a recent report, business and employment-focused social media platform LinkedIn said that nearly two in three professionals (65 per cent) desire to switch jobs, with many saying one big reason is to get a better paycheck.

“The search for a new job seems to be driven by the need for greater financial security as the cost of living soars, with demand for higher salaries as the biggest motivator for employees wanting to leave a current role (46 per cent),” LinkedIn said in its study, which involved nearly 23,000 workers across 17 markets.

It also released the company’s 2023 “Jobs on the Rise” report on Jan 18, which provides “insight into where the long-term opportunity lies and where the workforce is headed.”

LinkedIn Career Expert  Pooja Chhabria said, “Despite tough economic conditions, the Singapore workforce is relying on their own abilities to grow their skills and push forward in their careers.

Since the pandemic, it’s clear that professionals have built up a bank of resilience and we’re seeing this in their confidence to tackle the year ahead. They are striving for the ideal role that offers the right wage and provides work-life balance.”

However, if the professionals who participated in the study were offered a salary increase, 58 per cent say this would be the biggest reason to remain in their current jobs.

Forty-six per cent of professionals are now more confident to push for a new opportunity or a promotion this year, 54 per cent have endeavoured to grow in their skills and knowledge, 41 per cent have worked toward building their professional brand, and 38 per cent have proactively sought feedback.

Ms Chhabria added that jobseekers “are also being more intentional in their search, whereas others are taking steps to recession-proof their current roles by learning new skills or brushing up on existing ones.”

“Building transferable skills will help professionals be more versatile and adaptable to different roles which is valuable in an uncertain economic climate,” she said.

Interested in more? LinkedIn lists the 15 roles in Singapore that are growing in demand here. These include technical or engineering roles, such as cloud engineer, cybersecurity engineer, back-end developer and artificial intelligence en...