Under-30 and over-60 unemployment inched up in Q2 2025 despite stable overall rates.

Singapore’s labour market held firm in Q2 2025, but unemployment ticked up for younger workers and seniors, highlighting a more selective job landscape amid global uncertainty and evolving skills needs.

Headline Numbers At A Glance

Unemployment for residents under 30 rose from 5.4% (Mar) to 5.7% (Jun), while seniors 60+ edged up from 2.3% to 2.5%. By contrast, the overall unemployment rate held at 2.0%, and the resident rate eased from 2.9% to 2.8%. Officials stressed that youth unemployment remains within the pre-recessionary range (4.9%–6.1%).

Youth Job Hunt: Higher Churn, Faster Normalisation

MOM noted younger workers “move about more,” reflecting greater job search activity. Still, signs are encouraging: the long-term unemployment rate for under-30s improved to 1.1% (from 1.2%), and 51.9% (9,300) of 2025 fresh grads had jobs by June, up from 47.9% a year earlier. Historically, jobless rates for new grads decline to ~6% one year post-graduation, in line with the 25–29 age band.

Market Resilience With Soft Spots

Total employment (excl. MDWs) rose 10,400 in Q2 (vs 2,300 in Q1), comprising +2,600 residents and +7,800 non-residents. Growth was led by financial & insurance and health & social services; declines appeared in F&B and retail. MOM flagged “pockets of softening” in outward-oriented sectors like professional services and information & communications, amid tariff-driven global uncertainty.

Demand, Vacancies, And Re-Entry

Job vacancies eased to 76,900 (Jun) from 81,100 (Mar), but remained above jobseekers with a vacancy-to-unemployed ratio of 1.35. Retrenchments slipped for a second quarter to 3,540 (mainly reorganisation/restructuring). A warning sign: the 6-month re-entry rate after retrenchment dipped to 56.3% (from 60.6%), though 12-month re-entry was higher at 71.2%, indicating longer searches rather than persistent scarring.

Policy Response And Pipelines

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said the market “remains resilient” but the Government is watching conditions closely after the Apr 2 US tariffs announcement. From October, the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) scheme will offer up to 800 placements across public and private sectors to build experience and networks. Authorities also highlighted ~30,000 entry-level roles and 4,270 top PMET vacancies across 15 sectors, with strength in public administration & education, health & social services, construction, and information & communications.

What It Means For Workers

For youth and seniors, the modest uptick suggests more selective hiring rather than a broad downturn. MOM’s Employment Diffusion Index still points to broad-based growth, even as vacancies recede. The message from officials: stay agile—stack in-demand skills (digital, data, health, green), leverage traineeships and job fairs, and target sectors with persistent hiring needs.

Singapore’s Q2 2025 labour market balances resilience with early signs of easing: overall joblessness is steady, yet youth and senior unemployment have crept up. For Indonesians and Singaporeans engaged in cross-border hiring and trade, the takeaway is clear—opportunities remain, but skills fit and sector choice matter more as growth becomes selective.

Sources: CNA (2025) , The Business Times (2025)

Keywords: Unemployment Under 30, Over 60 Jobless Rate, MOM Labour Market Report, Graduate Traineeships, Job Vacancies Singapore, Retrenchment Trends