eFinancialCareers' quarterly jobs barometer for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region shows that in Q3, the number of job opportunities posted on eFinancialCareers for APAC increased 23% compared to Q3 2010.

However, no growth was recorded between Q3 and Q2 of this year. This can be attributed to a slowdown of hiring in Asia, even in booming China, with job opportunities likely to free up again at the start of 2012.

Within the region, Singapore showed the strongest growth – up 34% over Q3 2010. The number of jobs opportunities in Hong Kong showed an increase of 31%, while Australia experienced a drop of 1% mainly due to a static market.

The Performers

When looking at Q3 2011 over the preceding quarter, the three sectors with the strongest growth in APAC were sales and marketing and risk management, both showing an increase of 34%, closely followed by credit (+33%).

Sales and marketing candidates were the most sought after in a still-resilient Asia Pacific market where firms continued to hire in selective pockets. Revenue generating positions continue to be in demand.

The number of new job opportunities in this sector have doubled year on year. Risk management is still an area of growth, especially with firms operating within a global and regional regulatory framework that is constantly evolving.

Year-on-year, jobs in this sector have increased by 48%.