Singapore Jobs Report 2025: Strong Growth, Tight Talent — What It Means for 2026

Singapore's Ministry of Manpower released its Labour Market Report 4Q 2025 and Job Vacancies 2025 report on 20 March 2026 — and the data tells an instructive story. Employment grew for the 17th consecutive quarter. Job vacancies hit 77,700 with 1.58 openings for every unemployed person. Unemployment held steady at 2.0% overall.

But the headline numbers only go so far. Underneath them, a more selective market is emerging: skills gaps in specialist roles are widening, and nearly half of all vacancies are newly created positions driven by business expansion rather than staff replacement. Here is what the latest government data actually means if you are hiring in Singapore — or building your career here.

Singapore at a Glance: Key Labour Market Statistics 2025

17 consecutive quarters	of employment growth in Singapore since 4Q 2021
77,700 job vacancies	recorded in December 2025, up from 69,600 in September 2025
1.58 vacancies	for every unemployed person in December 2025
49.3% of vacancies	were newly created positions driven by business expansion
79.6% of employers	do not prioritise academic qualifications as the main hiring criterion
32,500 entry-level PMETs	available for fresh graduates in December 2025
2.0%–4.0%	Singapore GDP growth forecast for 2026, revised upward in February 2026

Source: Ministry of Manpower Singapore, Labour Market Report 4Q 2025 & Job Vacancies 2025 (March 2026)

1. The Labour Market Kept Growing in 2025

Total employment in Singapore expanded by 55,500 over the full year of 2025, up from 44,500 in 2024. Resident employment grew by 11,600, concentrated in Financial Services and Health & Social Services — two sectors that continue to invest in local talent. Non-resident growth of 43,900 was driven largely by Work Permit holders in Construction.

Retrenchments remained firmly within non-recessionary norms at 3,690 in 4Q 2025, and the resident re-entry rate into employment within six months of retrenchment improved slightly to 57.4%. The resident long-term unemployment rate held steady at 0.9% — suggesting that workers who lost jobs were generally re-entering the workforce without prolonged gaps.

Looking ahead, Singapore's GDP growth forecast for 2026 was revised upward to 2.0%–4.0% in February 2026. The labour market is expected to continue expanding, though employers are likely to remain measured in their hiring given global economic uncertainty.

2. Jobs Are Being Created, Not Just Replaced

One of the most significant findings from the Job Vacancies 2025 report: 49.3% of all vacancies in 2025 were newly created positions, up from 45.7% in 2024. The majority arose from business expansion — firms scaling existing functions or entering new ones — rather than backfilling departures.

The sectors creating the highest share of new roles were Information & Communications (74.2% newly created), Professional Services (58.2%), and Financial & Insurance Services (54.0%). This signals genuine organisational growth rather than churn.

For employers: you are competing for talent in a market where other companies are also building out new capability. Candidates have options, and hiring timelines matter.

For candidates: newly created roles often offer more scope to shape the position — and more room for growth — than replacement hires.

3. Skills Now Matter More Than Your Degree

Academic qualifications were not the primary hiring consideration for 79.6% of vacancies in 2025, continuing a steady rise from 67.1% in 2017. Among PMET vacancies specifically, 70.7% did not prioritise formal qualifications as the main criteria.

Employers cited better outcomes from skills-based hiring — faster processes, access to a broader talent pool, and improved employee performance. 66.9% of employers said they would consider candidates below the stated minimum qualification, and relevant experience and demonstrated ability now consistently rank as the top two evaluation factors.

The skills most in demand across high-value roles include software development, systems analysis, data analytics, and AI fluency — alongside problem-solving and adaptability. What you can do is increasingly weighted above where you studied.

4. The Top PMET Roles by Vacancy Volume

MOM's Job Vacancy Survey identified the ten most sought-after PMET occupations in 2025. Teaching and training professionals topped the list for the second consecutive year, followed by commercial and marketing sales executives, and software, web, multimedia and games developers and designers — the latter commanding wages in the $7,000–$10,000 per month range.

Other roles in the top ten include policy and planning managers, electronics engineers, civil engineers, industrial and production engineers, accountants, systems analysts, and financial and investment advisers. Engineering demand was sustained by ongoing advanced manufacturing and infrastructure investment, while technology roles reflected the accelerating adoption of AI-enabled systems across industries.

5. Entry-Level PMET Openings Remain Healthy

For fresh graduates entering the workforce, the picture is broadly positive. As at December 2025, there were approximately 32,500 entry-level PMET vacancies — roles with starting salaries in the $2,300–$5,000 range, consistent with the prior year.

The sectors with the highest concentration of entry-level opportunities were Health & Social Services (54.4% of all vacancies within the sector) and Professional Services (44.4%). Specific roles in high demand included software developers in Information & Communications (240 vacancies, $4,500–$6,550/month), research officers in Public Administration and Education (220 vacancies), and registered nurses and social workers in Health & Social Services.

The Government's GRIT (GRaduate Industry Traineeships) programme — now open for the 2026 graduating cohort — provides an additional entry pathway for those seeking industry exposure. The Overseas Markets Immersion Programme (OMIP) has also been extended to newly hired young professionals.

6. Where Talent Shortages Are Getting Harder to Fill

Overall hiring conditions improved in 2025, with the share of vacancies unfilled for at least six months falling from 19.4% to 17.1%. For PMET roles, however, the picture reversed: after three consecutive years of improvement, long-unfilled PMET vacancies rose from 14.4% to 16.0%.

The hardest-to-fill PMET occupations were software developers and designers, data scientists, teaching and training professionals, civil engineers, and applications and systems programmers. Employers cited a lack of specialised skills (52.3%) and insufficient relevant work experience (48.2%) as the primary barriers.

For employers: the plug-and-play model is not working for specialist roles. Government-backed tools — Career Conversion Programmes and the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (up to 70% funding, capped at $150,000 per enterprise) — can help you build the pipeline you need.

For candidates: if you are targeting any of these hard-to-fill roles, closing a specific skills gap through certification or project experience is a genuine differentiator. Demand is real and persistent.

7. Remote Work Is Growing — But Staying Local

Remote-capable vacancies rose from 14.4% of the total in 2024 to 22.7% in 2025. At the same time, the share of employers actively recruiting from overseas for these roles dropped from 23.0% to 16.5%. Companies are offering more flexible arrangements — but are prioritising local talent pipelines over cross-border hiring.

For employers, remote-capable role design can expand your local hiring pool without the complexity of international recruitment. For candidates who prefer flexible arrangements, the proportion of roles accommodating remote work is now meaningfully higher than a year ago.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Singapore's job market still strong in 2026?

Yes. Employment grew for 17 consecutive quarters through end-2025, job vacancies stood at 77,700 in December 2025, and Singapore's GDP growth forecast has been revised upward to 2.0%–4.0% for 2026. Hiring is expected to continue, though at a more measured pace as global uncertainty persists.

Which industries are actively hiring in Singapore right now?

Financial Services, Health & Social Services, Information & Communications, and Professional Services are among the strongest hiring sectors. The most in-demand PMET roles include software developers, systems analysts, data scientists, engineers, and sales and marketing executives.

Are there good entry-level jobs available for fresh graduates?

Yes — 32,500 entry-level PMET vacancies were recorded in December 2025. Health & Social Services and Professional Services have the highest proportion of entry-level openings. The GRIT scheme also provides a structured alternative entry pathway for the 2026 graduating cohort.

Does your degree still matter when applying for jobs in Singapore?

Less than it once did. Academic qualifications were not the main hiring consideration for 79.6% of vacancies in 2025. Employers increasingly weight demonstrated skills, relevant experience, and problem-solving ability over formal credentials.

Why are some PMET roles so hard to fill in Singapore?

The primary reason is a mismatch between the specialised skills employers need and what is available locally — particularly for data scientists, software developers, and civil engineers. For candidates, targeted upskilling directly addresses what employers say they are missing. For employers, reskilling existing staff with government grant support is a proven alternative to competing for a scarce open market.

Related Articles

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• Singapore Salary Guide 2025/2026 — Explore role-level salary benchmarks across key sectors
• What Singapore Employees Really Want in 2026 (Beyond the Paycheque) — Read insights from our employee sentiment study
• Hiring in Singapore in 2026: What Employers Need to Know — Read the Q1 2026 Hiring Pulse findings

Note: Please verify and update the above URLs to match live article slugs on reeracoen.sg before publishing.

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. (2026, March 20). Labour Market Report 4Q 2025. — https://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/2026/0320-labour-market-4q-2025

2. Manpower Research and Statistics Department, MOM. (2026, March). Job Vacancies 2025. — https://stats.mom.gov.sg

3. Manpower Research and Statistics Department, MOM. (2026, March 20). List of Entry-Level PMET Job Opportunities for Fresh Graduates — December 2025. — https://stats.mom.gov.sg/iMAS_PdfLibrary/List-of-entry-level-PMET-job-opportunities-for-fresh-graduates-Q4-2025.pdf

 

 

 

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