Re-employment rate of retrenched residents rises to 60.7%

More than two-thirds secured new jobs within a year of retrenchment.

The share of retrenched residents who returned to employment within six months rose to 60.7% in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, according to the Ministry of Manpower's Labour Market Report.

The six-month re-entry rate increased for a second consecutive quarter, from 55.4% in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 to 57.4% in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, and 60.7% in Q1 2026.

Meanwhile, 69.4% of residents retrenched 12 months earlier had secured new employment in Q1 2026, compared with 68.9% in Q4 2025. The 12-month re-entry rate was 74.8% in Q1 2025, the report noted.

The six-month re-entry rate stood at 57.3% for the whole of 2025, down from 58.4% in 2024, and 63.7% in 2023. For the 12-month measure, the annual re-entry rate was 72.1% in 2025, compared with 72.8% in 2024, and 75.3% in 2023.

MOM said re-entry rates are cohort-specific, as the rates for each quarter are based on different groups of retrenched workers.

The ministry also noted that the figures exclude those who entered self-employment, informal employment, or training whilst seeking work.

According to the report, 69.4% of residents retrenched 12 months earlier had secured new employment in Q1 2026, indicating that re-entry prospects improve with time, the ministry said.

Follow the link for more news on

Ministry of Manpower

Chart of the Day

The people you want to reach are already in this room.

Every quarter, SBR lands on the desks of the founders, CFOs, and directors running Asia's most consequential companies. Every day, they open our newsletter and read our website. It's a room that took twenty years to build — and it's the one most of our partners are trying to get into.
The good news is that the door is open. We work with companies on thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. The shape of the right partnership depends on what you're trying to do, which is why we'd rather start with a conversation than send a rate card.
If you have something this room should know about, tell us. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.

No rate cards until we understand the brief. It's a better use of everyone's time.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia