share on
- Steady job growth: Total employment increased by 17,700 in Q4 2025 and 55,500 for the full year.
- Low unemployment and retrenchments: Unemployment stayed at 2% and retrenchments were 1.5 per 1,000 employees in Q4 2025.
- Strong labour demand: Job vacancies rose to 77,700, keeping demand higher than the number of unemployed.
According to Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore’s labour market expanded by 17,700 jobs in the fourth quarter, marking the 17th consecutive quarter of growth since Q4 2021.
Over the full year of 2025, total employment rose by 55,500, an increase from 44,500 in 2024, the Labour Market Fourth Quarter 2025 showed. Resident employment increased by 11,600, largely driven by financial services and health & social services. Meanwhile, non-resident employment grew by 43,900, supported mainly by the continued hiring of work permit holders in construction.
Per the Labour Market Fourth Quarter 2025 report, unemployment rates remained low and stable in December 2025. Overall, the rate was 2.0%, with residents at 2.9% and citizens at 3.0%. Long-term resident unemployment also held steady at 0.9%, showing continued resilience in the job market.
Labour demand stayed strong, with job vacancies continuing to exceed the number of unemployed persons. Vacancies rose from 69,600 in September 2025 to 77,700 in December, which in turn increased the job vacancy to unemployed persons ratio from 1.50 to 1.58.
Retrenchments remained within non-recessionary norms, the statistics showed. In Q4 2025, 3,690 employees were retrenched, or 1.5 per 1,000 employees. For the full year, 14,490 employees were retrenched, equivalent to 6.3 per 1,000. Encouragingly, the resident re-entry rate into employment within six months post-retrenchment improved slightly, from 55.4% in Q3 2025 to 57.4% in Q4 2025.
Outlook for 2026
In February 2026, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) revised Singapore’s GDP growth forecast for 2026 to 2%-4%, reflecting stronger global economic performance in Q4 2025. As a result, outward-oriented sectors are projected to see healthy growth, and the labour market is expected to continue expanding.
However, employers may still adopt a cautious approach to recruitment amidst ongoing global uncertainties, even as surveys indicate improving hiring and wage sentiment.
To navigate these challenges, MOM encouraged both employers and workers to take proactive steps, such as tapping on the relevant reskilling and upskilling initiatives, career guidance, traineeship programmes, and job support schemes available.
Overall, Singapore’s labour market ended 2025 on a strong footing. With steady employment growth, low unemployment, and firm job demand, the outlook for 2026 appears cautiously optimistic.
Find the full report here.
Lead image / Ministry of Manpower
share on
