SINGAPORE RECRUITMENT INTELLIGENCE · 2026

Singapore’s Talent Market in 2026: Strong on Paper, Ruthlessly Selective in Practice

160 recruitment statistics distilled into one view: jobs are growing and unemployment is just 2.0%, yet employers now hire for specific skills, and AI and cybersecurity talent is the scarcest of all.

57,300jobs added in 2025up 29% from 44,500 in 2024

2.0%overall unemploymentresident 2.8% · citizen 3.0%

16straight quarters of job growthas of Q3 2025

+15%Net Employment Outlook, Q1 2026weakest since Q1 2022

Growth continues, but hiring intent is cooling

Sources: MOM, ManpowerGroup Q1 2026 (504 employers)

Total employment growth (jobs added)

202444,500

202557,300

2026 (economist projection)~60,000

Q3 2025 was the standout quarter with 25,100 new jobs, followed by 19,600 in Q4.

Q1 2026 employer headcount plans

46%

32%

18%

MaintainHireReduceRemainder 4% (calculated)

Finance & Insurance is the bright spot at +33% NEO, up 23 points from Q4 2025.

The AI and cybersecurity talent paradox

Demand is surging faster than qualified supply

+40%AI talent demand in 2025

74%of employers struggle to find qualified AI candidates

+45%cybersecurity hiring demand in 2025

3,000+cybersecurity specialist shortage

Annual pay ranges (S$ thousands)

AI Scientist130–200

Data Scientist120–180

Senior developer120–180+

Senior AI (finance)250–400+

What AI skills are worth

25–35%salary premium over non-AI tech peers

94%of employers expect to be AI-driven by 2028

Workplace GenAI use jumped from 24% to 79% of employees between 2023 and 2024.

Pay: employer budgets vs candidate expectations

Wage growth of 4.0–4.3% projected for 2026

The expectation gap (share of respondents)

Employers giving existing staff ≥3%69%

Employers offering new hires ≥6%56%

Job-switchers expecting ≥10%83%

Thresholds differ by group: this contrast shows the direction of the gap, not a like-for-like measure.

Expected 2026 pay uplift

Staying put3–6%

Switching jobs5–15%

Niche AI / cyberup to 20%

Sector growth: Risk & Compliance 8–12%, tech and manufacturing 5.8%, financial services about 4%.

Flexibility is now table stakes

Compensation still leads, flexibility follows

Flexibility preferences (share of professionals)

Five days in office9%

One to two office days45%

Value flexible hours82%

Back hybrid work86%

52% of hybrid workers would quit if flexibility were removed (57% of Millennials).

What employers say attracts talent

Compensation62%

Flexibility42%

Job security39%

Inspiring culture34%

Among workers, 47% cite higher salary and 40% cite flexible location as their top draw.

Skills and policy shape who gets hired

SkillsFuture, work passes and retrenchment context

75%of employers plan more upskilling investment

2–5 yrshalf-life of technology skills

8,500SCTP participants in 2025, up from ~1,500

45–60 daystime-to-hire for specialised PMET roles

Minimum monthly salary for foreign talent (S$)

S Pass3,300

Employment Pass5,600

EP, financial services6,200

PEP22,500

ONE Pass30,000

Retrenchments reached 14,400 in 2025 (6.2 per 1,000 employees), up 10.6% on 2024 but still low by historical standards.

The 2026 employer playbook

Drawn from the report’s conclusions

1Target scarce skillsAI, cyber, finance, healthcare

2Price competitivelyClose the gap with candidate expectations

3Offer real flexibilityHybrid is a retention lever

4Build, don’t only buyReskill and promote from within

5Grow pipelines50%+ of large employers plan structured internships by end-2026