Strong ecosystem here for workers to grow, thrive and adapt, report shows

Singapore has claimed top spot in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) 2025 for the first time, pushing Switzerland to second, with Denmark, Finland and Sweden rounding up the top five.

- Krist Boo Senior Business Correspondent

Singapore led the category for generalist adaptive skills, supported by a workforce equipped with soft skills, digital literacy and an innovation mindset. It also showed stronger retention capabilities, climbing seven places to 3ist from 38th in 2023.

The index, which benchmarks how countries grow, attract and retain talent, is the only one accredited by the European Union.

It assesses 135 economies in 77 indicators across six pillars and is widely used by governments, companies and recruiters to shape talent strategies.

Launched in Singapore in 2013, the GTCI is published annually — except in 2024 when it was paused for the writers to redesign the methodology and framework - by business school INSEAD. For the first time this year, it partnered with the US-based Portulans Institute, a nonprofit educational organisation.

Professor Felipe Monteiro, one of the report’s three authors and INSEAD’s senior affiliate professor of strategy, said Singapore’s workforce operates within one of the world’s strongest talent ecosystems — one that enables people to adapt, grow and thrive.

“It reflects a system that excels in education, skills development and lifelong learning... For the individual worker, this translates into better opportunities to upskill, greater career mobility and a higher level of protection against disruption, especially as AI reshapes jobs,” he said.