Job postings up, while employers remain cautious about hiring plans
Job postings in Singapore rebounded in June after growing by 2.1%, with artificial intelligence jobs rising across the country, according to a new report.
Indeed's latest labour market update said the increase in job postings reverses the five consecutive months of decline recorded in the job market.
But it remains 12.9% lower than a year ago, according to the update.
"Hiring in Singapore staged a modest rebound in June, following five consecutive monthly declines," said Callam Pickering, Indeed's APAC Senior Economist, in a statement.
"While job postings are much lower than a year ago, job creation remains more than sufficient to keep the unemployment rate low."
Pickering added in a blog that severe skill shortages have eased.
"Two years ago, half of all sectors had posting volumes at least twice their pre-pandemic baseline," he said in a blog post. "That's since fallen to one-in-six. Recruitment isn't necessarily easy, but it has certainly become easier recently."
AI job ads rising
Meanwhile, the report found that civil engineering roles saw the biggest increase in job ads among occupational categories, with a 30% growth since March 31.
Other best-performing occupational groups include:
- Dental (21.4%)
- Sports (17%)
- Mechanical engineering (15.4%)
- Architecture (13.1%)
On the other hand, job postings went down in veterinary (-31.2%), security and public safety (-30.1%), as well as community and social service (-22.1%).
Job postings mentioning AI in their job descriptions also went up by 14.8%, an increase of 10.1% from a year ago, according to Indeed.
"Mentions of generative AI — including phrases such as 'large language models' and 'ChatGPT' — began to emerge in 2023," Pickering said.
"By the end of June, around 1.7% of Singapore job postings mentioned phrases related to generative AI, around 2.1 times higher than a year ago."
Hiring intentions in Singapore
Indeed's latest job market update comes as businesses remain cautious about hiring amid global economic uncertainty.
The proportion of firms expecting to hire declined to 43.7% in the third quarter of 2025, down from 44% in the second quarter, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
"Global economic uncertainty is expected to persist and may weigh on hiring and wage growth, particularly in outward-oriented sectors," MOM said in its latest labour market report.
Pickering echoed that geopolitical and economic uncertainty may weigh on employer confidence and hiring plans.
"With the trading environment in flux, business leaders may adopt a more cautious approach to headcount in the months ahead," he said.
