Environmental Scan 2017: Human Capital Issues within the Medical Devices Sector
Job Vacancies
The surgical/medical gloves segment had the highest average vacancies per company at 60 as
of December 2016. Around two-thirds of these vacancies were for job category stationary
plant and machine operators, which is also the job category with the highest number of
employees in this segment. Nevertheless, the ratio of vacancies in relation to total workforce
needs for this job category in the segment was 7% (i.e. there were 7 job vacancies in every
100 positions needed for this job category), which is still within an acceptable range.
The 35 surveyed companies in other medical consumables segment had 580 vacancies as of
December 2016, averaging out to 17 vacancies per company. 35% of these were vacancies for
assemblers, followed by 26% for stationary plant and machine operators and 7% for
manufacturing and transport labourers. The ratio of vacancies in relation to total workforce
needs for these three job categories within the segment were also within an acceptable range.
In the non-consumables segment, the average vacancies per company is only 6, which is the
lowest in the industry. Majority of the vacancies were for skilled workers, where 25% were
for business and administration professionals, 23% for stationary plant and machine
operators and 20% for science and engineering professionals. The ratio of vacancies in relation
to total workforce needs for business and administration professionals was relatively high
(18%) as compared to other job categories or other industry segments.
(See Appendix 3.1.2 for further information)
Working Hours and Salary
Employees in the surgical/medical gloves segment typically have longer working hours, where
they work 48 normal working hours and 17 hours of overtime per week. Other medical
consumables segment on average demand 45 normal working hours and 8 overtime hours
per week, whereas the non-consumables companies require their employees to work 43
normal hours and 7 overtime hours per week averagely. It is noticed that larger companies
tend to require longer overtime working hours to fulfil their business operation needs.
The monthly basic salary for the key job categories within the three industry segments is
depicted in Table C-1 to Table C-3. Generally, the monthly basic salary within the industry is
quite low and it does not differ much across the different industry segments. Survey shown
that only 33% of the surgical/medical gloves companies, 20% of the other medical
consumables companies and 5% of the non-consumables companies reward their employees
for company’s productivity growth and performance improvements through the Productivity-
Linked Wage System (PLWS) at the moment.
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