Which jobs do Singaporeans stick with, even when they switch employers?

Singapore's labour market remains tight, with the unemployment rate at 2%.

Singaporeans working as registered nurses are the least likely to leave their field when they look for a new job, according to the latest findings from Indeed, based on resume data collected from 2022 to 2024.

Food and beverage roles also saw longer pathways, with just 12.7% of line cooks, 18.9% of chefs, and 29.4% of cooks leaving the food preparation profession between 2022 and 2024. Accounting is another career that workers rarely leave, with just 27.2% of audit associates, 31.1% of senior accountants, and 32.5% of senior auditors leaving the accounting profession between 2022 and 2024.

“Singaporeans change jobs for many reasons, with higher pay or career advancement being obvious motivations,” said Callam Pickering, APAC Senior Economist at Indeed. He added that some job seekers might want to reduce stress, improve job security, or enjoy greater work-life balance, whilst others might be motivated by a bad experience in their current job or external factors, such as redundancy, health, or relocation.

Meanwhile, job postings for hospitality and tourism jobs in Singapore have risen by 64.3% over the past three months, according to Indeed. In the same period, human resources (+37.1%) and logistic support roles (+16.7%) also saw noticeable increases. In contrast, dental (-27.1%), childcare (-23.1%), and insurance (-17.6%) roles saw the largest declines.

Overall, Singapore job postings rose 1.0% in September, ending two months of consecutive declines. Singapore’s job figures are 14.5% lower than a year ago, signalling a downward trend over the past three years.