Jobs in Singapore: Top hiring industries revealed in latest manpower survey for Q4 2026

Singapore's job market is undergoing significant changes, according to the latest manpower survey for Q4 2026. Anxiety over job prospects has reached its highest level since 2023, with 21% of respondents considering it an important issue, up from just 13% in July of the previous year. The slowdown in hiring is affecting both fresh graduates and older, retrenched workers, who are facing extended waiting times and fewer opportunities.

Despite these challenges, the overall employment outlook remains positive, with a Net Employment Outlook of +13%, which is the lowest since the pandemic and well below the global average of 29%. Of the 40,000 vacancies for qualified PMET candidates, 32% of employers plan to increase their headcounts between October and December, while 19% anticipate employment cuts.

Trade & Logistics is the top hiring industry, followed by Finance & Insurance at 20%. Banks and other institutions have not been significantly impacted by AI, with some even increasing hiring of entry-level workers. Construction is also seeing a rise in hiring, but it may not be a target for most Singaporeans due to the limited number of attractive jobs for locals.

However, many other industries have recorded steep drops in hiring compared to the previous year. Information technology services, summarized by ManpowerGroup (MPG) from Manufacturing, Information, and Professional Services, saw a 18 percentage point drop. The official Ministry of Manpower (MOM) data also reveals contradictory trends within the broader IT sector, with a large number of vacancies but shrinking employment due to a mismatch between required and possessed skills.

In summary, while jobs remain available and unemployment remains low, the employment situation in Singapore is becoming increasingly tough, especially for entry or re-entry into the workforce, with many candidates having to wait several months longer than usual to secure a job.