MOM said the easing of job vacancies in 2025 was not driven by rising retrenchments or unemployment, but reduced labour churn and slower hiring, with firms more cautious in creating new roles.
“This suggests that firms are managing headcount through natural attrition rather than actively shedding headcount. Employees, perceiving fewer opportunities, are also switching jobs less frequently. The result is lower labour mobility,” the report said.
MOM also said job vacancy pressures are increasingly concentrated in selected occupations rather than across the whole labour market.
Professional, manager and executive (PME) vacancies remained firm at 23,000, higher than 20,400 in the same period last year.
For PMEs, the information and communications, health and social services, and transportation and storage sectors continue to have high vacancies due to digitalisation, ageing and logistics needs, according to MOM.
In contrast, the accommodation and arts, entertainment and recreation sectors have seen gradual declines even from their inherently lower job vacancy levels.
Total employment grew by 25,100, above the 10,400 increase in the previous quarter.
UNEMPLOYMENT AND RETRENCHMENT
The quarterly unemployment rate for all residents, defined as Singaporeans and permanent residents, was unchanged from June at 2.8 per cent.
The overall unemployment rate, which considers non-residents, held steady at 2 per cent. The resident long-term unemployment rate was also unchanged at 0.9 per cent.
The resident unemployment rate for younger workers under 30 fell from 5.7 per cent in June to 5.5 per cent in September. This followed a first-time increase in the previous quarter.
The unemployment rate among older workers aged 60 and above also declined from 2.5 per cent in June to 2.1 per cent in September.
However, workers in their 50s saw the unemployment rate increase from 2.7 per cent in June to 3 per cent in September.
Workers in their 40s also saw an increase from 2.1 per cent in June to 2.2 per cent in September.