Singapore layoffs hit highest level since 2020 in third quarter

Singapore's retrenchment numbers rose to their highest level since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in late 2020, driven by business reorganisations, the Ministry of Manpower said on Friday.

Layoffs increased to 4,800 in the third quarter of 2026, from 4,620 in the previous quarter, according to the ministry's labour market report.

The July-September figure was the highest since 5,640 retrenchments were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.


The ministry noted that retrenchments remained elevated in outward-oriented sectors.

Retrenchments declined after 2020, when Singapore's population fell as travel restrictions and job losses prompted foreign workers to leave the business hub, resulting in a tighter labour market.

Singapore's overall unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.0% in September 2026. However, the unemployment rates among residents and citizens edged up to 3.0% and 3.1%, respectively, from 2.9% and 3.0% in August.

The share of companies expecting to retrench employees over the next three months also edged up to 3.1%, from 2.8% a month earlier.

"While the labour market continued to expand, retrenchments remained elevated and, together with higher intentions to retrench, point to emerging weaknesses in parts of the labour market that warrant close monitoring," the ministry said.

Despite the rise in layoffs, total employment grew by 27,700 in the third quarter, higher than the increase of 11,400 in the second quarter and 25,100 in the same period a year earlier.