Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. Data sourced from the Ministry of Manpower.
While Singapore’s latest labour market figures point to a slowdown in hiring, with retrenchments rising last quarter and re-entry into employment becoming tougher, there are still plenty of job openings available.
There are close to 70,000 vacancies in Singapore, including almost 40,000 PMET positions—jobs for professionals, managers, executives and technicians.
These roles also tend to pay significantly more. Last year, the median monthly income for resident PMETs was S$7,600, compared with S$5,755 across all resident workers and less than half that for non-PMET workers.
With the Ministry of Manpower releasing its second-quarter labour market report on Sept 21, we now have a clearer picture of which industries and occupations are still hiring—and where those nearly 40,000 PMET opportunities are.
Where to look for work in Singapore?
While the number of vacancies has dropped by around 8.6% compared to Q1, there are still thousands of jobs available, across all industries, including some of the best paying ones like Finance or IT.
Number of PMET vacancies in Singapore in 2026, by industrial group
| Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 43,000 | 39,300 |
| Community, Social and Personal Services | 11,900 | 12,400 |
| Manufacturing | 4,900 | 5,000 |
| Professional Services | 5,000 | 4,700 |
| Financial and Insurance Services | 6,300 | 4,500 |
| Information and Communications | 4,600 | 3,900 |
| Construction | 3,300 | 3,000 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade | 2,900 | 2,500 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 900 | 900 |
| Real Estate Services | 600 | 800 |
| Transportation and Storage | 1,200 | 700 |
| Administrative and Support Services | 1,000 | 400 |
| OTHERS | 400 | 400 |
The government leads the pack
For finer detail, we can look at specific industries within each larger grouping, which reveal that the government continues to be the most eager employer, offering over 8,000 openings—up by 20% from the first quarter.
In this breakdown, Financial Services and IT jump up to 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, showing that there’s continuous demand for qualified workers, even amid the fears that AI is going to take many high-paying jobs there.
Number of PMET vacancies in Singapore in 2026, by specific industry
| Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 43,000 | 39,300 |
| Public Administration & Education | 7,000 | 8,400 |
| Financial Services | 5,500 | 3,900 |
| IT & Other Information Services | 4,300 | 3,600 |
| Health & Social Services | 3,800 | 3,200 |
| Construction | 3,300 | 3,000 |
| Legal, Accounting & Management Services | 2,800 | 2,500 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,300 | 2,000 |
| Electronic, Computer & Optical Products | 1,600 | 1,700 |
| Fabricated Metal Products, Machinery & Equipment | 1,200 | 1,400 |
| Architectural & Engineering Services | 1,200 | 1,100 |
| Other Professional Services | 1,100 | 1,100 |
| Real Estate Services | 600 | 800 |
| Petroleum, Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products | 700 | 600 |
| Transport Equipment | 600 | 600 |
| Insurance Services | 700 | 600 |
| Other Community, Social & Personal Services | 900 | 600 |
| Retail Trade | 600 | 500 |
| Food & Beverage Services | 600 | 500 |
| Accommodation | 300 | 400 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 200 | 300 |
| Other Manufacturing Industries | 500 | 300 |
| Water Transport & Supporting Services | 400 | 300 |
| Other Transport & Storage Services | 300 | 300 |
| Telecommunications, Broadcasting & Publishing | 400 | 300 |
| Other Administrative & Support Services | 700 | 300 |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 200 | 200 |
| Paper/Rubber/Plastic Products & Printing | 100 | 100 |
| Land Transport & Supporting Services | 200 | 100 |
| Air Transport & Supporting Services | 300 | 100 |
| Cleaning & Landscaping | 200 | 100 |
| OTHERS | 400 | 400 |
With 40% of the offers concentrated in the Top 3, it seems that quality follows quantity. Public jobs are not known to pay poorly, while finance and tech are even more generous.
There certainly is some disconnect between the very high pace of economic growth, with GDP hitting close to 6% year-on-year, and the job market, which seems far less optimistic. However, the number of PMET vacancies today is still roughly 50% higher than it used to be before the pandemic.
It might be harder to get a job than it was during the rapid, post-COVID revival, but most still succeed, and there are many options to choose from. Of course, your individual situation depends on your qualifications, career goals and the industry you’re in.
- Read other articles we’ve written on Singapore’s job landscape here.
Featured Image Credit: TKKurikawa/ depositphotos
