One in Three Singapore Employers Say Hiring Is Taking Longer Than a Year Ago
A third of Singapore employers say it’s taking longer to fill roles than it did a year ago, according to ManpowerGroup’s latest Employment Outlook Survey, released 8 September 2026. Of the 651 employers surveyed, 33% reported longer hiring timelines, 42% saw no change, and 24% said hiring had actually sped up.
Where the delays are coming from: 43% of employers citing longer hiring point to a mismatch between candidate expectations and job requirements, 35% blame a shortage of candidates with the right skills, and 29% say qualified talent simply isn’t available in the local market.
The hiring outlook itself hasn’t collapsed. Net Employment Outlook for Q4 2026 sits at +13%, with 32% of employers planning to add headcount, 47% holding steady, and 19% expecting cuts. Entry-level hiring is actually up: 37% of employers say they’re recruiting more at entry level than in 2025, against 22% doing less.
For hiring managers, the takeaway is less about a slowing market and more about a widening gap between what candidates want and what roles actually offer — worth checking your own job specs and expectations against that 43% figure before assuming the market is simply tight.
