SINGAPORE - Singapore’s hiring outlook remained at its weakest level since Q4 2021 in the fourth quarter.
ManpowerGroup’s Q4 2026 Employment Outlook Survey, released Tuesday, Sept. 8, put Singapore’s seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook at 13% for October to December 2026, unchanged from the third quarter and seven percentage points below the same period last year.
The survey covered 651 Singapore employers. Some 32% expect to increase headcount, down from 35% in Q3, while 47% expect to maintain current staffing levels, up from 41%.
Another 19% anticipate reductions and 2% are uncertain. The Net Employment Outlook measures the percentage expecting workforce increases minus the percentage expecting decreases.
ManpowerGroup had reported the same 13% outlook for Q3, describing it as the lowest level since Q4 2021, when the measure stood at -2%. Singapore’s Q4 outlook was also below the 33% average for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and the 29% global average.
The regional Q4 survey results showed hiring intentions strengthened across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East overall.
Trade and logistics recorded Singapore’s strongest sector outlook at 22%, followed by finance and insurance at 20%. Recruitment was nevertheless taking longer for some companies: 33% of employers said vacancies took longer to fill than a year earlier, while 42% reported no change and 24% said hiring was faster.
Among employers reporting delays, 43% cited a mismatch between candidates and jobs and 35% cited a lack of candidates with the required skills.
The headline outlook covers employers’ overall staffing intentions rather than foreign-worker demand specifically.
In May, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said employers had shown no significant shift between local and foreign hiring preferences, while Singapore’s work-pass policies were intended to keep foreign workers complementary to the local workforce.
Linda Teo, country manager of ManpowerGroup Singapore, said employers were becoming more selective about where they add staff.
"Organisations remain prepared to invest in talent where there is a clear business need, but many are becoming more disciplined in how they allocate headcount," he added.
