Overview of hiring activity
Singapore’s online hiring activity edged higher in July 2026, though the market remained fractionally below year-ago levels. The foundit Insights Tracker rose to 96 in July from 94 in June — a 2% month-on-month gain — but sits 1% below July 2025’s reading of 97. It is the first monthly uptick after two consecutive soft months.
The near-term picture has stabilised: the index is up 1% over the last three months and 2% over the last six, suggesting hiring has found a floor after the drift through the first half of the year. Employers are adding selectively rather than broadly, with demand concentrated in technology, consumer, and communications roles while financial services and legal hiring continue to correct from last year’s highs.
Growth remains narrow. 5 of the 14 industries tracked by the Index hired above year-ago levels in July, three held steady, and six were below. On the functional side, 4 of 11 areas grew, with legal and HR the sharpest laggards.
Hiring trends by industry (year-on-year change)
Consumer-facing and technology sectors led the market in July, while financial services, hospitality, and retail remained under pressure.
Consumer Goods, FMCG and Retail-Adjacent (+12%) led all industries, reflecting steady household demand and a rebuild of commercial and category teams after a soft first half.
Advertising, Media and Entertainment (+11%) followed, as brand and campaign spend held up through the mid-year period and agencies added creative and media capacity.
IT, Telecom and BPO/ITES (+7%) extended its recovery on continued demand for cloud, data, and AI-related roles across the technology, financial services, and public sector accounts based in Singapore.
Production and Manufacturing (+2%) and Oil and Gas (+1%) posted modest annual gains.
Government/PSU/Defence, Engineering & Construction, and Shipping/Marine were flat year-on-year, hiring at the same pace as July 2025.
Import/Export (−1%) also sat close to flat, reflecting subdued trade activity.
BFSI (−11%) remained the sharpest decliner as banks continued to consolidate hiring following an aggressive 2024 build-out; the index is now well below its peak.
Hospitality(−7%) and Retail/Trade and Logistics (−6%) stayed soft as operators managed lean staffing against softer visitor arrivals and cautious consumer spending.
Education (−4%) and Health Care (−3%) eased modestly, though both edged higher over the month.
Hiring trends by functional area (year-on-year change)
Functional hiring reflects the same pattern: creative, technology, and customer-facing roles are the growth pockets, while corporate and specialist functions are unwinding from last year’s highs.
Marketing & Communications (+5%) led all functions, as brands added campaign, digital, and content roles alongside the broader lift in consumer and media hiring.
Customer Service (+4%) rose as consumer businesses reinforced frontline coverage, while Software, Hardware & Telecom (+4%) continued its recovery on technology infrastructure and enterprise engineering demand.
Engineering/Production (+1%) held marginally positive on steady industrial and manufacturing activity.
Health Care (−1%) and Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (−2%) were essentially flat, with modest month-on-month gains suggesting both are stabilising.
Sales & Business Development (−4%) and Finance & Accounts (−5%) softened as employers held commercial and finance headcount steady while other functions absorbed the year’s incremental hiring.
Hospitality & Travel(−6%) remained under pressure in line with the sector itself.
HR & Admin (−8%) and Legal (−12%) were the sharpest declines. Both categories are correcting from an unusually high 2024 base — legal, in particular, has fallen back sharply after a peak driven by regulatory and compliance build-outs across banking and technology. On a shorter horizon the pullback has slowed, pointing to a market that is now normalising rather than contracting.
About foundit
foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME) is a leading talent platform that provides comprehensive hiring solutions across India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. With over 20 years of experience, it has transformed the recruitment landscape through AI-driven job matching, candidate insights, and end-to-end hiring support. Serving millions of jobseekers and thousands of employers, foundit is committed to enabling smarter and faster hiring decisions across the region.
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