Updated
Updated · The Tribune India · Jul 31
Singapore Adds 10,700 Jobs in Q2 as Unemployment Holds at 2.0%
Updated
Updated · The Tribune India · Jul 31

Singapore Adds 10,700 Jobs in Q2 as Unemployment Holds at 2.0%

3 articles · Updated · The Tribune India · Jul 31

Summary

  • 10,700 jobs were added in Singapore in April-June, extending employment growth to a 19th straight quarter and topping the 9,400 increase in Q1.
  • Construction and manufacturing lifted non-resident hiring after a Q1 slowdown, while resident employment still grew, led by essential and public services.
  • 2.0% overall unemployment and 2.9% resident unemployment were unchanged in June; citizen unemployment edged down to 3.0% from 3.1% in March.
  • 4,500 retrenchments in Q2 were up from 3,830 in Q1, concentrated in some outward-oriented sectors and tied mainly to business restructuring rather than a broad downturn.
  • 43.9% of firms expected to hire in the next three months in June, up from 40.6% in May, while wage expectations rose and expected retrenchments fell to 2.7%.

Insights

Why are Singaporean companies firing workers at a five-year high while simultaneously planning to increase hiring and wages?
Could rapid AI adoption and demanding entry-level requirements silently fuel a massive underemployment crisis for Singapore's newest graduates?