Hiring shifts toward domain expertise as AI reshapes roles

Entry-level positions accounted for just 16% of AI job opportunities on the Jobstreet platform in Q2.

Employers are putting greater stock in candidates who can pair domain expertise with the ability to work alongside emerging technologies, even as Singapore's hiring market posts another quarter of expansion.

"Employers are placing greater emphasis on talent with sufficient domain expertise to work with emerging technologies and adapt to evolving job requirements," a spokesperson from Jobstreet by SEEK in Singapore said in a statement.

The domestic labour market expanded for the 19th consecutive quarter in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, with total employment rising by 10,700 despite higher retrenchment, data from the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) showed.

Employment growth accelerated from 9,400 in the first quarter (Q1) and was broadly in line with the 10,400 increase recorded a year earlier.

Jobstreet said the latest data shows that the local job market remains steady.

"Jobstreet's platform data also shows that hiring activity remains healthy from Q1 to Q2 with a 9.9% QoQ increase in job applications despite a modest 2.7% QoQ decline in job postings in the same period," Jobstreet said.

"Overall, Singapore's labour market remains resilient, with hiring demand continuing to hold up as employers place greater emphasis on specialised expertise and future-ready capabilities," the company said.

MoM data points to continued positive hiring sentiment for the coming quarter despite macroeconomic uncertainty amidst the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom. The proportion of firms planning to hire over the next three months climbed to 43.9% in June from 40.6% in May.

Jobstreet added that whilsrt demand has held up, the type of talent being sought is shifting as job functions are being reimagined.

In Q2, the platform saw demand for AI-related roles concentrate heavily at the mid- to senior-level. Entry-level positions accounted for just 16% of AI job opportunities, with non-entry-level roles making up the remaining 84%. Organisations are growing more discerning, prioritising candidates who combine practical experience with digital literacy, Jobstreet said.

Sameer Hasija, dean at INSEAD's Asia campus, earlier said that the shelf life of skills is shortening under AI — making "learnability" increasingly critical. He described this as the ability to build on prior experience whilst augmenting it with new skills.

MoM data also showed sector growth concentrated in essential and public services, particularly Transportation & Storage, Health & Social Services, and Public Administration & Education.

Jobstreet said this was reflected in its own platform, with the strongest gains in job postings from Q1 to Q2 coming from Government/Defence, Semiconductor, and Transportation/Logistics. The company said the momentum in these sectors points to growing demand in industries where domain expertise remains critical, despite AI being an increasingly valuable workplace tool.

"As skills-based hiring becomes the norm, creating stronger matches between job seekers and employers will depend on decoding the evolving hiring signals from both sides," the company said.

"Hence, job seekers who can demonstrate practical experience, transferable skills and the ability to work with emerging technologies such as AI will be best positioned to stand out, whether they are fresh graduates entering the workforce or professionals making a mid-career switch," it added.