Should You Keep Hiring? What Singapore's Labour Market Is Actually Telling Us Right Now

Author: Valerie Ong, Regional Marketing Manager, Reeracoen Singapore

Language: This article is written in English for readers in Singapore. Chinese and Japanese translations are available on our website.

The past few weeks have rattled boardrooms across Asia. Oil prices above $100 a barrel. Shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Supply chain costs rising fast. And now the question landing in every HR conversation: should we pause hiring?

It is the right question. But getting the answer wrong in either direction is expensive. Here is what Singapore's labour market data and ground-level hiring activity are actually telling us right now.

 

At a Glance: Key Statistics
55,500	Total employment growth in Singapore, full year 2025
77,700	Job vacancies in December 2025
1.58	Vacancies for every unemployed person, December 2025
71.8%	Singapore employees in some form of job search activity
80.3%	Hiring managers citing salary expectations as top challenge
4.0 to 4.3%	Projected average wage growth in Singapore for 2026

Sources: MOM Labour Market Report Q4 2025  |  Reeracoen Beyond the Paycheque Study 2026  |  Reeracoen Hiring Manager Survey 2025/2026  |  Reeracoen Singapore Salary Guide 2025/2026

According to MOM's Labour Market Report Q4 2025, total employment grew by 55,500 in full year 2025, outpacing 2024. Job vacancies reached 77,700 in December with a ratio of 1.58 vacancies per unemployed person. Unemployment held at 2.0%. These are not freeze indicators. They are the indicators of a market that was already trending toward selectivity before global uncertainty arrived.

The distinction that matters: replacement hiring is continuing. Expansion hiring is facing longer approval cycles. These are two very different situations that call for two very different responses.

According to Reeracoen's Beyond the Paycheque: Singapore Employee Sentiment Study 2026, conducted with Rakuten Insight across 337 professionals in Q4 2025, 71.8% of Singapore employees are in some form of job search activity right now. Many are not actively applying, but they are watching, benchmarking, and comparing.

According to Reeracoen's Singapore Salary Guide 2025/2026, built from over 140,000 validated placement data points across 15 industries, the following categories remain competitive regardless of global conditions:

• Governance, Risk and Compliance: senior-level salaries from SGD 6,500 to SGD 8,600 per month
• Bilingual Japanese-speaking professionals: consistent salary premium across manufacturing, logistics, and financial services
• AI-adjacent and data roles: digital transformation timelines have not paused
• Sales and business development: revenue-generating roles are always protected first

Reeracoen's Hiring Manager Survey 2025/2026, covering 375 Singapore-based hiring managers, found that 80.3% still cite salary expectations as their top hiring challenge. That figure has not shifted despite the change in global sentiment. Wage growth is moderating to 4.0 to 4.3% on average, but premiums for specialist and bilingual roles remain elevated.

• Do not pause replacement roles. Every week without the right person in a critical seat has a real cost.
• Benchmark salary before you make the offer. Use Reeracoen's Salary Guide for role-level data specific to Singapore.
• Start bilingual and specialist searches early. These roles take six to twelve weeks to fill under normal conditions.

FOR EMPLOYERS AND PROFESSIONALS

For Employers

Is your hiring strategy calibrated for today's market? Our consultants can benchmark salary offers, identify available talent, and advise on which roles to prioritise.

Tell us about your hiring needs

 

For Professionals

If you are among the 71.8% quietly watching the market, now is a good time to benchmark your package and explore what is available.

Register with Reeracoen

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Should Singapore employers pause all hiring during global uncertainty?

No. Replacement roles should continue. Pausing them creates operational gaps that are typically more costly than a temporary headcount freeze. Expansion roles warrant more scrutiny, but should not be abandoned without a clear business case review.

Are candidate salary expectations lower because of economic uncertainty?

The data does not support this. Reeracoen's Hiring Manager Survey 2025/2026 shows 80.3% of employers still cite salary expectations as their top challenge. Expectations have not eased, particularly for specialist and bilingual roles.

Which roles are hardest to fill in Singapore right now?

Governance, risk and compliance professionals, bilingual Japanese-speaking talent, AI and data specialists, and experienced sales and business development professionals remain the most competitive categories based on Reeracoen's current placement activity.

Is now a good time to look for a job in Singapore?

Yes, particularly for professionals in compliance, technology, and specialist sales. The market is selective, not frozen. Understanding your market value before entering a conversation is the most important preparation you can do.

How long does it take to fill a specialist role in Singapore right now?

Based on current conditions, specialist and bilingual roles typically take six to twelve weeks from search initiation to offer acceptance. Starting earlier than you think you need to is consistently better than waiting for urgency to set in.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Singapore's Labour Market in 2026: What 4Q 2025 Signals for Hiring, Wages, and Job Security
• From Recovery to Reality: Singapore's 2026 Hiring Outlook
• Top In-Demand Jobs in Singapore in 2026: Skills, Salaries and Hiring Trends

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Valerie Ong

Regional Marketing Manager, Reeracoen Singapore

Valerie leads content and market insights for Reeracoen across Southeast Asia. She works closely with Reeracoen's specialist recruitment consultants to translate hiring data, salary benchmarks and labour market trends into practical guidance for Singapore's employers and professionals. Her work draws on Reeracoen's proprietary research including the annual Salary Guide, Hiring Pulse, and Hiring Manager Survey.

Language note: This article is published in English. Reeracoen Singapore also publishes selected content in Japanese for our bilingual and Japanese-speaking professional community.

REFERENCES

1. Ministry of Manpower (Singapore). Labour Market Report, Fourth Quarter 2025. Published 20 March 2026. https://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/2026/0320-labour-market-4q-2025

2. Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore). MTI Upgrades 2026 GDP Growth Forecast. February 2026. https://www.mti.gov.sg

3. Reeracoen Singapore. Beyond the Paycheque: Singapore Employee Sentiment Study 2026. Conducted with Rakuten Insight, Q4 2025. n=337. https://www.reeracoen.sg

4. Reeracoen Singapore. Hiring Manager Survey 2025/2026. Conducted with Rakuten Insight. 375 respondents. https://www.reeracoen.sg

5. Reeracoen Singapore. Singapore Salary Guide 2025/2026. Based on 140,000 validated data points, Sep 2024 to Sep 2025. https://www.reeracoen.sg

 

 

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