Hiring sentiment in Singapore is expected to weaken significantly amid heightened economic uncertainty and reach a four-year low in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest survey by ManpowerGroup. Conducted in October, the survey collected responses from 504 employers and found that Singapore's net employment outlook for the first quarter of 2026 is 15 per cent. Comparatively, the global average stands at 24 per cent. Within the region, India leads with an outlook of 52 per cent, while the outlook in Hong Kong remains subdued at 1 per cent. While remaining positive, Singapore's outlook declined by five percentage points from the fourth quarter in 2025, and 11 percentage points from the same period last year. According to ManpowerGroup, the last time Singapore's net employment outlook was 15 per cent was in the first quarter of 2022 during the global pandemic. Out of the employers surveyed this time, 46 per cent expect to maintain current staffing levels. 32 per cent plan to increase headcount, while 18 per cent anticipate a decrease in their staffing levels.  Read more