Singapore average weekly working hours hold at 42.9 in Q1

Retail trade fell to 39.7 hours from 40.7, whilst arts slipped to 40.8 from 41.6.

Singapore's average weekly total paid hours worked per employee stood at 42.9 hours in March 2026, unchanged from 43 hours in the previous quarter, according to data from the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Labour Market Report for the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.

Average weekly paid overtime hours also remained broadly stable at 1.7 hours, compared with 1.8 hours in December 2025.

MOM said both measures continued their longer-term downward trend with average weekly total paid hours and overtime hours generally declining over the past decade.

According to the ministry, the decline in paid working hours over time mirrors trends in other measures of working time, including actual and usual hours worked.

It said the reduction in working time has coincided with a longer-term increase in productivity.

Across sectors, arts, entertainment, and recreation recorded one of the largest quarterly declines in average weekly paid hours worked, falling to 40.8 hours from 41.6 hours. Retail trade also saw a decline to 39.7 hours from 40.7 hours.

Construction workers continued to record the longest average working hours despite a slight reduction.

Average weekly paid hours in the sector fell to 46.8 hours from 47.2 hours during the quarter.

The figures cover private-sector establishments with at least 25 employees as well as the public sector.