After months of assurance that its integrated resort is on target to open by the end of the year, Marina Bay Sands has announced that the opening will be delayed till early next year.

Reasons cited include a shortage of both construction materials and labour, which have come as a surprise for some. For instance, the Building and Construction Authority said that it did not receive any feedback about a shortage of raw materials.

However, some observers note that the shortage of labour stems mainly from how Singaporeans seem to be avoiding gaming jobs. This could in turn be due to the rotational nature of the shift and a lack of familiarity with gaming here, unlike places such as Macau.

When asked about the impact of the delay, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S.Iswaran said: "If there is a contractual obligation and if there is a deviation, then I think both parties must agree that it is on a mutually agreed basis. So STB (Singapore Tourism Board) and other government agencies are in discussions with them and we expect to have a good outcome."

What's your take on this latest development? How do you think this will affect Singapore's tourism industry, and does it change your own career plans in any way? Tell us on the JobsCentral Forum.

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Two reports from Philippine sources have been circulating on the Internet, stating that the country’s President Gloria Arroyo had claimed to have secured for Filipinos 5,000 of the 10,000 available jobs at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. This has no doubt caused an uproar among some Singaporeans who are currently jobless and struggling to find jobs as well.

The publications report that President Arroyo said she had sent a delegation to Singapore in March to explore job opportunities for Filipino nationals, and even sent Philippine’s Labour Secretary Marianito Roque to meet with Tan Hee Teck, CEO of Resorts World Sentosa.

Apparently, some of the many job openings at the upcoming Universal Studios will also go to Filipinos, who might be hired as performers. As Filipinos are known for their talents for song and dance (an area where Singaporeans might be found lacking), it is perhaps all right to employ foreigners to fill the gap.

However, other positions such as casino operators and hotel staff can be well-filled by Singaporeans. Surely we don’t need foreign talent for that?

The Ministry of Manpower has released figures stating that an additional 17,500 Singaporeans have become jobless since the second half of 2008. Many Singaporeans are hungry for jobs too, hence it is, naturally, quite disappointing to hear of such news.

Maybe we can applaud the Philippine government for being so proactive towards helping its countrymen find jobs – which makes us wonder if our government is doing enough for us?

Only time will tell where the IR jobs eventually go, although I think I can already (albeit subconsciously) hear the powerful melodious strains of Filipino voices ringing through its corridors.

Since Monday, the Marina Bay Sands Resorts has launched a recruitment exercise to get some of the 10,000 staff it will need.

The initiative is focusing on rank-and-file positions such as security officers and hotel room attendants, and the the Resort has pledged to give priority to locals.

Resorts World Sentosa has also begun hiring, but only for managerial positions. Hiring for other positions will begin next year, and the Resort is also looking at a staff strength of 10,000.

But some are questioning if the current global financial crisis will have a negative impact on the employment opportunities promised by Singapore's upcoming integrated resorts.

Just yesterday, Las Vegas Sands (the parent company of Marina Bay Sands) was trading at US$12.86, registering a sharp 91% drop in share value. Analysts are also speculating that the credit crisis will dampen gambling appetite, a situation that is already happening in Macau, where gaming revenues have slipped for a second successive quarter.

How do you think the economic situation will affect Singapore's integrated resorts? Will the resorts live up to be the silver lining for Singapore's economy? Do you still plan to apply for a job in the resorts?

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