Johor recently hosted the inaugural Singapore career fair tailored for Malaysians, attracting an overwhelming response from eager job seekers.

The fair, organized by 200 Singaporean employers, presented approximately 300 job opportunities, predominantly within the service industry.

Roles in this sector spanned various positions such as chefs, kitchen assistants, butchers, pastry chefs, bakers, tea brewers, café supervisors, and waitstaff in establishments ranging from Chinese restaurants and breakfast joints to cafes, bars, vegetarian eateries, and Japanese and Korean restaurants.

Additional job categories included office positions, warehouse roles, factory jobs, sales assistants, beauty and nail services, technicians, hotel staff, clerical roles, and more.

Early Morning Queues

The event kicked off early, with enthusiastic applicants forming queues as early as 5:30 am.

A diverse group of job seekers from states like Penang and Perak attended, all driven by the prospect of enhanced employment opportunities in Singapore.

One of the main draws of the fair was the attractive salary packages, with service industry roles starting from 2,000 SGD (approximately RM7,000).

During a press conference, Chua Jian Boon, special officer to Johor Chief Minister, shared that according to data from the National Statistics Department, Johor's unemployment rate decreased to 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023.

"With a total population of 4.1 million, Johor boasts 1.88 million employed individuals, marking an increase of 30,000 from the previous year's 1.85 million," he added.

The combination of a high salary range and the strength of the Singapore dollar presented a compelling opportunity, resulting in a substantial turnout of over 2,500 people by midday.