Fresh grads taking longer to secure jobs, retrenched workers finding it harder to land new jobs: Jasmin Lau
Singapore's labor market is showing signs of softening, with fresh graduates taking longer to find employment and retrenched workers facing increased difficulty in re-entering the workforce. The government is monitoring the situation and offering support through traineeship programs.
Why it matters
Rising unemployment and longer job-search durations are key economic indicators that signal potential cooling in the broader economy and impact social stability.
The decline in the re-entry rate was most pronounced among clerical, sales and service workers, tertiary-educated residents and those aged below 30.
Office workers in Raffles Place on Sep 21, 2026. (File photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)
Abigail Ng 06 Oct 2026 05:07PM (Updated: 06 Oct 2026 06:41PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST SINGAPORE: Fresh graduates are taking longer to secure full-time jobs and retrenched workers are also finding it harder to land new jobs, reflecting the softer hiring conditions in the labour market.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in