Nine in 10 overqualified workers are in roles by choice: MOM

Key reasons include flexibility and work-life balance.

About nine in 10 overqualified workers were in such roles by choice, representing 17.7% of the resident workforce, according to the Ministry of Manpower.

These workers chose their roles for reasons such as flexibility, work-life balance, and transitional career decisions, rather than difficulty finding suitable jobs.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the workforce was involuntarily overqualified. This proportion has remained below 3% over the past decade.

Singapore’s overall overqualification rate stood at 19.4%, below the 21.6% average across high-income economies.

The tertiary-educated workforce rose from 51.6% in 2015 to 64% in 2025, above the 41.2% average in comparable economies.

Separately, a National Trades Union Congress study revealed that the most common forms of underemployment were education-field job mismatch (31.4%), qualification-job mismatch (23.0%), skills-job mismatch (22.5%), and qualification-occupation mismatch (20.3%).

In 2025, academic qualifications were not the primary consideration for 79.6% of vacancies. Employers prioritised relevant experience (48.2%) and skills and abilities (20.1%).

In addition, hiring challenges were more evident in specialised roles.

The share of professional, managerial, executive and technician vacancies unfilled for at least six months rose from 14.4% in 2024 to 16.0% in 2025, with difficulties reported in roles such as data scientists, teaching and training professionals and civil engineers.

If you've been wondering whether SBR could work for your company — yes, probably.

A lot of the companies we partner with started as readers. They'd been following our coverage for a while, saw their own customers and competitors in it, and eventually asked the obvious question: could we do something with you? The answer is usually yes. The shape of it depends on what you're trying to do.

The options are broader than most people assume — thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. Some partners use one channel; most use a mix. We figure out the right combination by starting with your brief, not with our rate card.

So if the question has been on your mind, here's the easy way to ask it.

We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how. 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