Spore Job Vacancies Up in Q1; Manpower Demand Slows in Manufacturing

More firms plan to hire for the next quarter, but MOM says increase is not broad-based

- Sharon Salim

The number of job vacancies picked up in the first three months of 2025, although there were signs of slowing manpower demand in the manufacturing sector.

In March, the number of vacancies stood at 81,100, up from 77,500 in December 2024, according to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) finalized data in its Labour Market Report for the first quarter of 2025.

Most sectors recorded more openings, but in manufacturing, the vacancies slipped from 8,200 in December 2024 to 8,000 in March 2025.

These numbers, however, have yet to reflect the impact of US President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs announcement on April 2.

At a media briefing on June 27, a MOM spokesperson said the ministry ran a poll with over 8,000 firms across all sectors in April and May to capture more recent sentiments following the reduction and partial suspension of certain tariffs.

From January to March, 40.5 per cent of the firms surveyed planned to hire for the next quarter. By April and May, the number was up slightly at 42.2 per cent.

This modest increase showed that companies continue to take a measured, slow-to-hire and slow-to-fire approach in their manpower planning, said Mr Ang Boon Heng, director, manpower research and statistics department, MOM.