Hospitality hiring intensifies as visitors return to Singapore – but staff are hard to find

SINGAPORE’S hotels are seeking to fill hundreds of jobs as staffing levels have yet to match the tourism pick-up, particularly after pandemic-era cuts.

The industry’s long-running manpower crunch worsened during Covid-19, with Singapore’s hotel workforce shrinking by 25 to 30 per cent over the past 2 years, according to Margaret Heng, executive director of the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), which represents 160 member hotels.

But tourist numbers have been growing each month since February, boosted by the relaxation of border curbs from Apr 1. In June, Changi Airport passenger volume exceeded 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, achieving the year-end target earlier than expected. Hospitality staffing levels, however, have lagged behind.