{"id":50692,"date":"2026-04-01T12:54:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T07:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/?p=50692"},"modified":"2026-04-01T12:56:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T07:26:45","slug":"foundit-insights-tracker-singapore-feb-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/foundit-insights-tracker-singapore-feb-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Singapore&#8217;s Hiring Landscape in February 2026:\u00a0foundit\u00a0Insights Tracker"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Overview of Hiring Activity<\/strong>&nbsp;<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Singapore&rsquo;s online hiring activity remained under pressure in February 2026, with the&nbsp;foundit&nbsp;Insights Tracker declining 9% year-on-year. Month-on-month, the index&nbsp;is&nbsp;broadly flat but directionally soft. The broader trend reflects sustained employer caution &mdash; hiring is down 1% over 3 months and 4% over 6 months &mdash; as companies continue to&nbsp;prioritise&nbsp;replacement, contract, and selective hiring over net headcount additions amid weaker global growth visibility and persistent margin pressure.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The majority of&nbsp;industries&nbsp;remain&nbsp;in negative annual territory, with only Production\/Manufacturing, Advertising, Shipping, and Oil &amp; Gas holding&nbsp;flat. At the functional level, Customer Service, Engineering, and Healthcare functions are outperforming, while Legal continues to face the sharpest decline of any category.&nbsp;<\/p><div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file aligncenter\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fit_SG_-Feb26.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of &lt;strong&gt;Singapore Hiring Trends in February 2026&lt;\/strong&gt;&nbsp;.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-ff000638-20bb-402e-9bc5-ebdd769ea496\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fit_SG_-Feb26.pdf\"><strong>Singapore Hiring Trends in February 2026<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fit_SG_-Feb26.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-ff000638-20bb-402e-9bc5-ebdd769ea496\">Download<\/a><\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hiring Trends by Industry (YoY change)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Holding steady<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Production\/Manufacturing, Automotive &amp; Ancillary (0%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Flat industrial&nbsp;output&nbsp;and stable demand for precision manufacturing roles are preventing further decline.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Advertising, Market Research, PR, Media &amp; Entertainment (0%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Digital marketing activity is providing a floor for hiring, keeping the sector even with a year ago.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Shipping\/Marine (0%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Stable trade route activity and steady operational requirements are sustaining flat hiring.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Oil &amp; Gas (0%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Capital discipline and measured upstream activity keep hiring at maintenance levels, neither growing nor contracting.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Facing challenges<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IT, Telecom\/ISP &amp; BPO\/ITES (&minus;1%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Marginal annual decline as selective tech hiring is offset by ongoing efficiency-led&nbsp;optimisation&nbsp;in BPO and shared services.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Government\/PSU\/Defence&nbsp;(&minus;1%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Modest softness reflecting cautious public sector budget deployment.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Health Care<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong> (&minus;2%)<\/strong>&nbsp;A slight decline despite stable healthcare demand,&nbsp;likely driven&nbsp;by cost&nbsp;rationalisation&nbsp;and slower replacement cycles.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Engineering, Construction &amp; Real Estate (&minus;3%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Selective hiring outside niche sub-sectors&nbsp;is weighing&nbsp;on the annual trend.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Consumer Goods\/FMCG (&minus;3%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Muted consumer demand and margin pressure limit new hiring across this segment.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Import\/Export (&minus;4%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Softer global trade volumes and cautious expansion by trading firms continue to weigh on hiring.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Retail\/Trade &amp; Logistics (&minus;5%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Weak consumption and efficiency-led cost control in consumer-facing formats are sustaining the decline.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hospitality (&minus;6%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Operators&nbsp;remain&nbsp;focused on leaner staffing models and cost control as post-pandemic demand&nbsp;stabilises.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>BFSI (&minus;9%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Banks and financial institutions are focused on automation and productivity rather than net hiring growth, driving a meaningful annual pullback.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Education (&minus;15%)<\/strong>&nbsp;A significant annual decline driven by lower enrolments, budget tightening, and consolidation across institutions and training providers.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Others (&minus;23%)<\/strong>&nbsp;The steepest industry decline, with broad-based contraction across smaller and mixed verticals.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hiring Trends by Functional Area (YoY change)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In demand<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Customer Service (+4%)<\/strong>&nbsp;A notable reversal, with modest growth driven by selective hiring in financial services and healthcare-linked support functions.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Engineering\/Production (+2%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Marginal positive momentum, supported by niche manufacturing and infrastructure maintenance requirements.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/search\/health-care-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Health Care<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/strong> (+2%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Demand for clinical and allied health roles&nbsp;remains&nbsp;supported by population ageing and sustained healthcare&nbsp;utilisation.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/search\/marketing-communications-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marketing &amp; Communications<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;(<\/strong> (+1%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Stable demand for digital marketing and customer engagement roles keeps this function marginally positive.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Facing challenges<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Purchase\/Logistics\/Supply Chain (&minus;1%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Near-flat but directionally negative, reflecting non-expansionary but operationally consistent demand.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Software, Hardware &amp; Telecom (&minus;2%)<\/strong>&nbsp;A marginal pullback despite ongoing&nbsp;digitalisation, as headcount additions slow in line with broader tech hiring caution.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>HR &amp; Admin (&minus;4%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Firms continue to limit back-office expansion as cost discipline persists.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/search\/finance-accounts-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Finance &amp; Accounts&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>(&minus;4%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Automation and shared services models continue to reduce incremental hiring across finance functions.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sales &amp; Business Development (&minus;5%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Firms have paused sales force expansion, focusing instead on productivity and retention.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hospitality &amp; Travel (&minus;9%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Cautious consumer demand and efficiency-led staffing models soften hiring across this function.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Others (&minus;10%)<\/strong>&nbsp;Broad softness across miscellaneous functional categories.&nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/search\/legal-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Legal&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> (&minus;29%)<\/strong>&nbsp;The sharpest annual decline across all functions, as companies reduce non-core hiring,&nbsp;consolidate&nbsp;in-house legal teams, and rely more on external counsel amid cost pressure.&nbsp;<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overview of Hiring Activity&nbsp;Singapore&rsquo;s online hiring activity remained under pressure in February 2026, with the&nbsp;foundit&nbsp;Insights Tracker declining 9% year-on-year. Month-on-month, the index&nbsp;is&nbsp;broadly flat but directionally soft. The broader trend reflects sustained employer caution &mdash; hiring is down 1% over 3 months and 4% over 6 months &mdash; as companies continue to&nbsp;prioritise&nbsp;replacement, contract, and selective hiring &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/foundit-insights-tracker-singapore-feb-2026\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Singapore&#8217;s Hiring Landscape in February 2026:\u00a0foundit\u00a0Insights Tracker<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights-tracker"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50692"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50745,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50692\/revisions\/50745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}