Decline in HR demand could mean reduction in overall hiring activity, report says
Demand for human resources professionals dropped in the last three months of 2025 in Singapore, in a potential sign of reduced overall hiring activity, according to a new report from Indeed.
Its latest Hiring Lab Report showed a 34.7% drop in job postings for HR professionals between September 30 and December 31, 2025.
It is the second-worst performing occupational group in Singapore, topped only by the 59.4% drop in childcare job listings, according to the report.
"This decline in demand for human resource professionals will be one to watch, particularly given that drop-off might be a sign that businesses are looking to reduce overall hiring activity," the Indeed report read.
The forecast is in line with recent reports saying Singapore employers are taking a cautious approach in recruitment this year, with 58% of organisations planning to freeze headcount.
"Employers are navigating 2026 cautiously, in view of rising costs of doing business and uncertainties in the overall global economy," said Hao Shuo, CEO of the Singapore National Employers Federation, in a statement late last year.
Overall job postings decline
Job postings across Singapore have been on a downward trend over the past three years, but they remain 33% above pre-pandemic levels.
In December, job postings dipped by 0.3%, the ninth monthly decline in 2025, to end the year 15.8% lower than when it started.
Despite this drop, the Indeed report noted that Singapore's job market remains "incredibly tight."
"The post-pandemic job boom in Singapore was so large that even though job postings have fallen for the past three years, it's still sufficiently high to keep the unemployment rate low," the report read.
In the last three months of 2025, strong job listing growth was reported in the Banking and Finance occupation group, logging an 8.5% increase.
This is followed by Scientific Research & Development (7.3%), and then Software Development (7.0%).
"Singapore finished the year as it started, with a very tight labour market but declining job creation," the report read. "Job creation eased throughout the year and December was no exception, with job postings falling 0.3%. We expect this downward trend to continue in the near term."
Job postings mentioning AI
Meanwhile, the Indeed report also revealed that there was a 1.7 times increase in the number of job postings that mentioned generative AI.
It found that almost one in five job postings in the country mentioned generative AI in their job descriptions, with the occupation groups that are most likely to include it are:
- Data & Analytics (60%)
- Software Development (48%)
- Scientific Research (37%)
- Industrial Engineering (34%)
"Artificial intelligence continues to become more prominent across the Singapore economy, with demand for AI-related skills rising by the month," the report read.
"Singapore has firmly established itself as an AI hub, adopting these tools faster than other markets Indeed operates in."
