Singapore’s funeral industry is looking to fill at least 800 vacancies over the next few years, amid an expected rise in demand for such services.
The country’s annual deaths have been climbing steadily with an ageing population. They are set to nearly double from about 24,000 in 2021 to 40,000 in 2040, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Funeral firms have been looking to hire a new generation of funeral workers. In-demand positions include funeral directors and operations crew.
Passion Bereavement Care founder and funeral director Deborah Kang said most of her employees are recommended by other staff and even the bereaved families.
The funeral services provider has grown its team by a third over the past few months, but the number of clients has outstripped its growth, tripling over the same period.
Competition for talent is stiff, with hundreds of funeral companies across Singapore looking to hire more workers.
Some firms said they have relaxed their criteria for potential employees and are more open to taking in those exploring a mid-career change.
Casket Fairprice corporate development manager Rachael Tay said such a move has managed to help raise its headcount by about 50 to 60 per cent in the past year alone, even though it does take a longer time to get such workers operationally ready.
