In his daily newsletter for Singer Capital markets, Kean Marden, an analyst at the firm, writes: “According to recent surveys by Hudson and the Singapore National Employers’ Federation (SNEF), more employers here plan to add to their headcount in the next three months in anticipation of business picking up next year.

“In Hudson’s May poll, 26% of executives in key business sectors projected higher Q3 recruitment, up from 20% for Q2.

“According to Hudson’s Singapore country manager: ‘Hiring expectations in Singapore are significantly higher this quarter, improving for the first time since Q1 2007. Employers in all sectors are increasingly optimistic about business prospects.’

“SNEF figures also point to a more optimistic quarter ahead. ‘Our preliminary findings from 200 employer surveys showed that 5% more are hiring in Q3, compared to Q2. Banking and finance reported the biggest jump in hiring intentions (32% versus 19%).”

Marden says these survey results mirror recent comments by  the chief executive of Robert Walters Japan, who noted that global financial services activity picked up towards the end of Q2.