Overview of Hiring Activity in Singapore
Singapore’s online hiring activity declined by 3% month-on-month in October 2025, reflecting a cautious labour market as businesses continue to navigate cost pressures, global demand uncertainty, and calibrated hiring budgets.
While the 3-month (−2%) and 6-month (−1%) trends show relative stability, the market remains 11% lower year-on-year, signalling that recovery remains uneven across sectors.
Despite the overall cooling, selective industries and niche roles continue to demonstrate resilience, driven by consumption-linked activity, media expansion, and essential operations.
Hiring Trends by Industry (YoY change)
Most industries recorded annual declines, although pockets of strength emerged in Hospitality, Manufacturing, and Advertising & Media. Tech-linked and financial services sectors remained subdued, mirroring global correction trends.
In demand
- Hospitality (+3%)
Singapore’s tourism momentum, events calendar, and travel-related activity continue to support hiring across guest services, F&B operations, and travel support roles. - Production / Manufacturing, Automotive & Ancillary (+2%)
Stable output and steady domestic demand contribute to modest workforce additions in precision manufacturing, automotive support, and plant operations. - Advertising, Market Research, PR, Media & Entertainment (+1%)
Brand spending and digital content mandates remain healthy, fuelling sustained demand for creative, campaign, and media execution roles. - Oil & Gas (−1%) / Health Care (−1%) / Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (−1%)
While marginal declines YoY, these sectors maintain a stable hiring base supported by ongoing capital projects, essential services, and infrastructure maintenance. - Retail/Trade & Logistics (0%) / Government & PSU (−3%) / Shipping/Marine (0%)
Flat-to-neutral hiring reflects steady operations but limited expansion in a cautious economic cycle.
Facing challenges
- IT, Telecom/ISP & BPO/ITES (−5%)
Tech hiring remains muted due to global optimisation cycles, controlled outsourcing mandates, and selective replacement hiring. - BFSI (−13%)
Cost rationalisation, process automation, and tighter compliance spending continue to curb talent demand across banking and allied services. - Education (−9%)
Structural shifts in enrolment patterns and digital delivery formats continue to restrain hiring activity. - Consumer Goods/FMCG (−5%) & Import/Export (−9%)
Soft consumer sentiment and slower regional trade flows weigh on workforce expansion. - Others (−11%)
Diverse and niche verticals face broad-based demand moderation.
Hiring Trends by Functional Area (YoY change)
Functional hiring shows a stronger divergence in Singapore, with healthcare, customer-facing roles, and selective marketing functions displaying resilience, while technology, legal, and finance roles remain under pressure.
In demand
- Health Care (+4%)
Continued emphasis on healthcare capacity, ageing population needs, and clinical support functions bolster demand for nurses, allied health staff, and medical technicians. - Hospitality & Travel (0%)
Stable hiring reflects sustained tourism activity and event-led demand, even as staffing models remain lean.
- Customer Service (−1% but +3% in 3M)
Short-term momentum indicates improving demand for service desks, operations support, and customer-facing functions—supported by retail and travel upticks. - Marketing & Communications (−6% but +1–2% in short-term trends)
Campaign cycles and digital performance roles maintain moderate short-term traction despite YoY softness. - Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (−1%)
Operational continuity and e-commerce logistics keep functional demand stable.
Facing challenges
- Software, Hardware & Telecom (−23%)
One of the steepest YoY drops, mirroring regional tech slowdowns, cloud cost optimisation, and restrained hiring across software engineering and IT infrastructure roles. - Legal (−30%)
The largest functional decline, driven by consolidation, automation of documentation workflows, and fewer new mandates across compliance, contract management, and regulatory functions. - Finance & Accounts (−17%)
Automation of reporting and transactional work, together with tight cost control, continues to suppress demand. - Sales & Business Development (−7%)
Companies remain cautious in expanding frontline commercial roles amid uneven consumption and revenue-efficiency priorities. - Real Estate (−14%) & Engineering/Production (−7%)
Higher operating costs and delayed project cycles soften hiring for specialised technical and on-ground functions.
Why the Mixed Signals?
- Tourism and core services are stabilising
Hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare continue to show structural resilience, anchored by tourism flows, essential operations, and population needs.
- Tech and financial services remain on a correction path
Global headwinds, capital expenditure moderation, and efficiency-centric planning continue to restrain hiring within tech, BFSI, and professional services.
- Short-term indicators show early stability, not expansion
While Singapore’s 3M and 6M trends are only mildly negative, the YoY drop underscores a longer recovery cycle influenced by global trade softening and tighter business sentiment. - Media and logistics offer bright spots
Content-driven roles and operational logistics hiring remain comparatively stable, supported by Singapore’s position as a regional hub.
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) Singapore—formerly the Monster Employment Index—is a monthly benchmark of online hiring activity across the nation. By analysing millions of job postings, fit offers timely, data-led intelligence on recruitment trends across industries, occupations, and skill categories, helping organisations and talent navigate an evolving labour market.
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