Employers are expected to hire more in the third-quarter of this year on the back of expanding their operations and filling in vacant positions, a survey by JobStreet.com revealed recently.

In the survey by the job board, conducted on 313 employers across various industries, JobStreet noted 35% of the employers gearing to hire are doing so amid their companies’ expansion plans, while the remaining 65% intend to fill vacant positions.

“Among the employers surveyed, 32% said they would be hiring more, an increase of 7% compared to the 2Q,” JobStreet revealed in a statement yesterday.

This development comes against expectations of an economic slowdown on the back of the post-Goods and Services Tax climate, leading to depressed consumer and investor sentiment.

The national unemployment rate hovers at 3% as of April 2015, an improvement from 3.2% in the month prior, according to the Department of Statistics.

JobStreet stated 41% of employers expect to maintain their hiring rate, “signifying some slight improvement compared to 34%” in the 2Q of 2015.

“In addition, the number of employers who will be hiring less has also decreased by 14%, a drop from 41% to 27% on a quarter-on-quarter comparison,” it stated.

Meanwhile, JobStreet country manager Chook Yuh Yng said sales and marketing takes the lead in the context of job growth, with over 5,979 job postings. She said the job specialisation is a particularly competitive one with a high turnover rate, especially among junior and entry level employees. “Hence, hiring levels remain optimistic as there is a large number of candidates actively competing and searching for new roles and a continuous need to fill vacant positions.”