The hottest jobs in Singapore amid a tight labour market

Singapore’s labour market is witnessing a surge in the demand for skilled professionals in technology, education and finance.

Data from the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) showed total employment in Singapore expanded by 351,100 between 2022 and 2024. There were 164 job vacancies for every 100 job seekers as of December 2024.

This tight labour market signals strong demand for talent, particularly in well-paying professional, managerial, executive, and technician roles. These so-called PMET roles comprise 57.7% of all job vacancies, up from 43.4% a decade ago.

High-demand professions in 2024

MoM’s Job Vacancies Report, released on 28 March, highlights the most in-demand roles for 2024:

Teaching and training professionals (Monthly salary range: S$2,500 to $8,250) – With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, data science, and cybersecurity, the need for trainers in these fields has surged, underscoring the urgency for workforce upskilling.

Software, web, and multimedia developers (Monthly salary range: $6,000 to $12,000) – Though no longer topping the list as in previous years, they remain highly valued.

Industrial and production engineers, civil engineers, and computer network professionals (Monthly salary range: $3,500 to $7,000) – As Singapore continues its technological and infrastructural expansion, these roles remain critical to national development.

Financial and investment advisers (Monthly salary range: $3,500 to $4,150) – Global economic uncertainty has driven demand for professionals who can help investors navigate volatile markets.

Commercial and marketing sales executives (Monthly salary range: $3,000 to $4,000) – Companies are intensifying their focus on revenue growth, making commercial talent a top priority.

In contrast, the highest demand for non-PMET roles has been in service-oriented positions, including waiters, cleaners, shop sales assistants, receptionists, and construction workers. However, filling these roles remains a challenge due to low wages and strenuous working conditions.

Job creation and employment

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng recently shed light on the “complementarity” between local and foreign PMETs, noting that both groups have seen employment growth in key sectors such as information and communications and financial services. Over the past decade, resident PMET employment in these industries has risen by 227,500, while Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass holders increased by 22,100.

However, while these figures suggest that Singaporeans are securing more jobs in absolute terms, a closer look at the past three years reveals that non-residents have captured the lion’s share of employment growth.

A changing hiring landscape

The hiring process has also become more dynamic, with improvements in job matching reducing long-term vacancies. In 2014, 41.4% of job openings remained unfilled for more than six months.

By 2024, this figure had dropped to 19.4%, thanks to enhanced skills training, technology adoption, and strategic use of foreign manpower to address talent shortages.

Employers are also displaying greater flexibility in their hiring criteria. In 2024, 70.3% of PMET job openings did not require academic qualifications as a primary criterion, a sharp rise from 42% in 2017. This shift signals a growing recognition that skills and experience often outweigh formal education, with businesses increasingly adopting a skills-first approach to hiring.

Overall, changes in Singapore’s labour market are being driven by shifts in talent demand, a more skills-focused hiring approach, and the complementarity between the local and foreign workforce.