Tsutomu Ogura Resigns as Singapore Lions Head Coach; Job Market Cools with Continued Demand for Engineers

Singapore football head coach Tsutomu Ogura has resigned due to personal reasons, ending his tenure just 17 months into a two-year contract. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said Ogura needed to return to Japan for pressing matters and that efforts to retain him were unsuccessful.

Ogura, who took over in February 2024, led the Lions to the ASEAN Championship semi-finals and recent wins in Asian Cup qualifiers. Former Tampines Rover coach Gavin Lee has been appointed interim head coach while FAS searches for a permanent replacement. Ogura’s departure leaves the Lions at a pivotal moment in their rebuild.

Singapore’s job market has cooled for the fifth straight month, but demand for technical talent remains strong, according to job site and hiring platform Indeed. Civil engineering job postings surged 19 per cent since February, with mechanical and industrial roles also rising. Childcare, sports, and data analytics jobs are growing, while healthcare-related roles saw steep declines.

Despite the slowdown, job postings remain 40 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, and unemployment is low at 2.1 per cent. Experts say the labour market remains tight, with employers still struggling to fill skilled roles amid global uncertainty.

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According to the source: Yahoo News Singapore.