Overview of Hiring Activity
Singapore’s online hiring activity remained under pressure in February 2026, with the foundit Insights Tracker declining 9% year-on-year. Month-on-month, the index is broadly flat but directionally soft. The broader trend reflects sustained employer caution — hiring is down 1% over 3 months and 4% over 6 months — as companies continue to prioritise replacement, contract, and selective hiring over net headcount additions amid weaker global growth visibility and persistent margin pressure.
The majority of industries remain in negative annual territory, with only Production/Manufacturing, Advertising, Shipping, and Oil & Gas holding flat. At the functional level, Customer Service, Engineering, and Healthcare functions are outperforming, while Legal continues to face the sharpest decline of any category.
Hiring Trends by Industry (YoY change)
Only 4 of the 15 industries tracked held flat year-on-year in February 2026; the remaining 11 recorded declines, pointing to continued broad-based hiring contraction.
Holding steady
Production/Manufacturing, Automotive & Ancillary (0%) Flat industrial output and stable demand for precision manufacturing roles are preventing further decline.
Advertising, Market Research, PR, Media & Entertainment (0%) Digital marketing activity is providing a floor for hiring, keeping the sector even with a year ago.
Shipping/Marine (0%) Stable trade route activity and steady operational requirements are sustaining flat hiring.
Oil & Gas (0%) Capital discipline and measured upstream activity keep hiring at maintenance levels, neither growing nor contracting.
Facing challenges
IT, Telecom/ISP & BPO/ITES (−1%) Marginal annual decline as selective tech hiring is offset by ongoing efficiency-led optimisation in BPO and shared services.
Government/PSU/Defence (−1%) Modest softness reflecting cautious public sector budget deployment.
Health Care (−2%) A slight decline despite stable healthcare demand, likely driven by cost rationalisation and slower replacement cycles.
Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (−3%) Selective hiring outside niche sub-sectors is weighing on the annual trend.
Consumer Goods/FMCG (−3%) Muted consumer demand and margin pressure limit new hiring across this segment.
Import/Export (−4%) Softer global trade volumes and cautious expansion by trading firms continue to weigh on hiring.
Retail/Trade & Logistics (−5%) Weak consumption and efficiency-led cost control in consumer-facing formats are sustaining the decline.
Hospitality (−6%) Operators remain focused on leaner staffing models and cost control as post-pandemic demand stabilises.
BFSI (−9%) Banks and financial institutions are focused on automation and productivity rather than net hiring growth, driving a meaningful annual pullback.
Education (−15%) A significant annual decline driven by lower enrolments, budget tightening, and consolidation across institutions and training providers.
Others (−23%) The steepest industry decline, with broad-based contraction across smaller and mixed verticals.
Hiring Trends by Functional Area (YoY change)
4 out of 12 functional areas recorded positive annual growth in February 2026, with Customer Service, Engineering, and Healthcare functions leading, while Legal remains under severe pressure.
In demand
Customer Service (+4%) A notable reversal, with modest growth driven by selective hiring in financial services and healthcare-linked support functions.
Engineering/Production (+2%) Marginal positive momentum, supported by niche manufacturing and infrastructure maintenance requirements.
Health Care (+2%) Demand for clinical and allied health roles remains supported by population ageing and sustained healthcare utilisation.
Marketing & Communications ( (+1%) Stable demand for digital marketing and customer engagement roles keeps this function marginally positive.
Facing challenges
Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (−1%) Near-flat but directionally negative, reflecting non-expansionary but operationally consistent demand.
Software, Hardware & Telecom (−2%) A marginal pullback despite ongoing digitalisation, as headcount additions slow in line with broader tech hiring caution.
HR & Admin (−4%) Firms continue to limit back-office expansion as cost discipline persists.
Finance & Accounts (−4%) Automation and shared services models continue to reduce incremental hiring across finance functions.
Sales & Business Development (−5%) Firms have paused sales force expansion, focusing instead on productivity and retention.
Hospitality & Travel (−9%) Cautious consumer demand and efficiency-led staffing models soften hiring across this function.
Others (−10%) Broad softness across miscellaneous functional categories.
Legal (−29%) The sharpest annual decline across all functions, as companies reduce non-core hiring, consolidate in-house legal teams, and rely more on external counsel amid cost pressure.
