According to the Hudson Report for Q2, employment expectations in Singapore reached 59 per cent, the highest in the last four years and significantly higher than the 50 per cent seen in Q1.
In Hong Kong, hiring was also up substantially to 44 per cent, an increase from 36 per cent in Q1, with media/PR/ advertising experiencing the largest increase in employment expectations.
In Hong Kong, hiring was also up substantially to 44 per cent, an increase from 36 per cent in Q1, with media/PR/ advertising experiencing the largest increase in employment expectations.
China, however, proved to be the most buoyant employment market, with 59 per cent of companies planning to increase headcount.
Karen Kwan, manager, sales and marketing practice at Hudson in Singapore, said: "For the last couple of years, these companies were in survival mode, focused on the short-term and getting sales through. Now there are more long term growth plans in place for marketing and PR functions, which are traditionally viewed as cost centres and, generally, the first to suffer during a downturn. With this new longer term view, however, companies are again investing in marketing and PR.
"Companies that want people to move to a new job with them are also willing to pay a premium and this (incentive) has increased considerably."
However, the economic recovery has also meant longer working hours, particularly for those in the advertising/media/PR sector.
According to the report, Hong Kong appeared to have the longest working hours of all the Asian markets surveyed, with 70 per cent of respondents stating that they worked more than 50 hours a week. Of these, 20 per cent claimed to work more than 60 hours a week. Kwan added: "There is a real need for a work/life balance and companies will need to address this.
"The interesting contrast is that while people are working longer hours in the advertising, media and PR fields, they have almost become immune to putting in these hours and it's seen as just the nature of the beast."