Singapore’s labour market continued to expand for the 20th consecutive quarter in Q3 2026. Total employment grew by 27,700, up from 11,400 in Q2 and 25,100 in the same quarter last year. Much of the growth came from non-resident workers in the construction and manufacturing sectors, while resident employment growth was mainly supported by essential and public services.
At the same time, retrenchments increased to 4,800, from 4,620 in the previous quarter. This was the highest quarterly total since Q4 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The retrenchment rate remained at 2 per 1,000 employees. The Ministry of Manpower said business reorganisation was the main reason for the layoffs, which remained elevated in some outward-oriented sectors, including information and communications, financial services and manufacturing.
The overall unemployment rate held steady at 2% in September. However, the unemployment rates for residents and citizens edged up slightly, to 3% and 3.1%, respectively.
Overall, the figures show a mixed picture: employment is growing, but restructuring continues to affect some sectors and retrenchments are rising. These are advance estimates; the full Q3 labour market report is expected in mid-December. (Ministry of Manpower, CNA)
