Job ads mentioning AI exceeded 10% in around half of all occupations in August
Singapore recorded the highest proportion of job postings mentioning artificial intelligence in August, according to Indeed, with one in six job ads referencing AI.
New hiring data from Indeed reveals job postings in Singapore mentioning AI have increased by 1.5 times since August 2024.
It extends Singapore's global lead in the proportion of job ads mentioning the technology, with Spain and Ireland coming in second and third.
When it comes to the increase, however, the biggest growth in job ads mentioning AI was in the United Kingdom, which increased 1.8 times since August 2024.
This is followed by Australia (1.7 times) and Ireland (1.6 times), according to the report.
Job postings mentioning AI
In Singapore, job postings made references to machine learning, generative AI, and agentic AI.
Roles for data and analytics led the way in terms of AI mentions, with 57%. This is followed by:
- Software development (39%)
- Scientific research (35%)
- Industrial engineering (33%)
Callam Pickering, Indeed's APAC Senior Economist, said AI use has become more broad-based in Singapore, as the share of job postings mentioning AI exceeded 10% in around half of all occupations in August.
"This reflects Singapore's status as a tech hub in the Asia-Pacific region and the relative size of Singapore's tech sector (as a share of total job postings) compared to other countries," the report revealed.
Job postings in Singapore
The rise in AI-related job postings comes as job ads declined in Singapore, which dipped 1.3% in August.
According to the hiring data, job postings are 16.2% lower than a year ago, but remain 35% above the pre-pandemic baseline of February 2020.
Job postings in 92% of occupations are also above their pre-pandemic levels.
"The post-pandemic job boom in Singapore was so large that even with three years of falling postings, job creation is strong enough to keep unemployment low," Pickering said.
"August's figures show that while hiring demand is normalising, the overall volume of opportunities continues to reflect a healthy, resilient labour market."
Occupations with the biggest increase in job postings since 31 May include:
- Food preparation and service (10.7%)
- Legal (8.8%)
- Personal care and home health (8.1%)
- Cleaning and sanitation (6.6%)
- Civil engineering (5.1%)
Despite having the biggest shares in AI job postings, data and analytics roles recorded a 15.9% drop in overall job ads since May, according to the report. Other occupations that posted a decrease include:
- Childcare (-46.5%)
- Veterinary (-27.7%)
- Dental (-24.9%)
- IT infrastructure, operations, and support (-17.6%)
- Education and instruction (-14.6%)
"Clearly, job creation is still sufficiently strong to keep the unemployment rate low, but if job postings don't begin to stabilise soon then further declines could lead to softer labour market conditions going forward," Pickering said.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower previously warned that global uncertainty is expected to impact hiring this year.
"Labour market adjustments are expected to come mainly through slower hiring and moderated wage growth, while retrenchments may rise modestly but remain low," it said on its latest Labour Market Report.
