The Business Times · 23 Sep, 23:00 · Business briefing

Singapore has jobs, but can retrenched workers get them?

Recent reporting highlights a paradoxical labour market in Singapore, where significant job vacancies coexist with a growing cohort of retrenched workers.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Recent reporting highlights a paradoxical labour market in Singapore, where significant job vacancies coexist with a growing cohort of retrenched workers. The analysis suggests that structural mismatches, rather than a lack of demand, are preventing displaced professionals from securing new roles. Employers are increasingly prioritising specific digital and adaptive competencies over general experience. Consequently, many retrenched individuals struggle to bridge the skills gap required for available positions. This disconnect underscores the urgent need for targeted upskilling and strategic career pivots to align personal capabilities with current industry requirements.

Employer demand for Data Science skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

You must treat your career as a dynamic asset requiring constant maintenance. This market reality means generic experience is no longer sufficient; you need demonstrable, niche technical proficiency. Professionals in traditional sectors should immediately audit their skill sets against current job descriptions. Prioritise acquiring data literacy and digital transformation capabilities, as these are consistently cited as missing links. Do not wait for retrenchment to act. Start building a portfolio of relevant projects now. Engage with industry networks to understand unspoken hiring criteria. If you are a manager, focus on upskilling your team in areas that drive immediate operational value. Your next move should be to identify one high-demand technical skill and begin certified training this week.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Marketing and Project Management — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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to benefit.

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