Singapore is ready to party, but clubs from Zouk to Marquee first need jobseekers to show up
- As officials dial down pandemic rules, the city state’s bars, restaurants and nightclubs are racing to reopen, sparking an intense hiring drive
- But F&B operators say they’re hampered by foreign-worker quotas and the challenge of hiring locals who shun the sector and say the gig economy pays better
After two years, Singapore nightclubs finally reopened on April 19 but instead of roaring back to life, the industry’s biggest players are sputtering.
The city’s best-known club Zouk opened at half its capacity a day later, while the massive Marquee, which houses an indoor Ferris wheel and a giant slide, has yet to announce an opening date.
The problem is not demand, but manpower.
As the city state relaxes its pandemic rules, there has been a flurry of reopening – from clubs and karaoke establishments to restaurants and bars finally being allowed to sell alcohol past 10.30pm – and operators are on a hiring drive. This has created stiff competition and many businesses cannot employ enough workers to cope with the happy problem of an exuberant returning crowd.
Marquee – located at the swanky Marina Bay Sands where it occupies 2,300 square metres across three floors – is advertising 17 roles, from resident DJs to lighting programmers, VIP hosts, bartenders and cashiers.
