Singapore Employment Grows for 18th Straight Quarter as AI Reshapes Roles

Singapore's labour market just logged its 18th straight quarter of expansion. Total employment grew by 9,400 in Q1 2026, up sharply from 3,100 in the previous quarter, according to the Ministry of Manpower's latest Labour Market Report. Resident employment alone gained 5,400, led by administrative and support services and transportation and storage.

The report's most telling finding is about AI's actual impact on jobs. MOM's survey shows firms are three times more likely to redesign existing roles and work processes than reduce headcount when adopting AI. Manpower Minister Dr Tan See Leng encouraged every Singaporean to take charge of their own AI journey, pointing to over 1,600 AI-related courses now available on MySkillsFuture. Nearly 400 workers have already gone through Workforce Singapore's Career Conversion Programme with AI components.

AI adoption varies sharply by sector — 74.1% in information and communications, 57.5% in professional services, and 56.4% in financial and insurance services. Retrenchments ticked up slightly to 3,830 in Q1 from 3,690 in Q4, but unemployment remains low and stable. The outlook: the labour market is expected to stay tight through Q2, though businesses are cautious on hiring and wages given geopolitical uncertainty.

Why it matters for Singapore: The 18-quarter streak confirms the labour market's resilience, but the more important story is how AI is changing work. The data supports what many have suspected — AI is a job redesigner, not a job destroyer, at least for now. Singapore's bet on reskilling and career conversion programmes looks like the right play, but the scale needs to match the pace of adoption, especially in sectors where AI penetration is still low.