Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. List published by the Ministry of Manpower.
Singapore’s economy may be growing at a record pace this year, but the boom—driven by demand for AI-related hardware products—has had an uneven impact on the job market.
The total number of unemployed citizens increased to 64,700 last quarter, the highest figure since 2021. It was driven by a relatively high number of redundancies (4,800)—and the last time more Singaporeans were laid off in a single quarter was in Q4 of 2020, when it hit 5,640.
At the same time, however, there are still many jobs which are starved of workforce to such a degree that the Ministry of Manpower is giving bonus points to foreign candidates applying for an Employment Pass in these professions. This makes it a useful indicator for locals as well.
Every year in Nov, MOM updates the Shortage Occupation List ahead of the new calendar year, where it provides a complete breakdown of all the jobs that are in dire need of workers.
If you’re looking for a career idea, it might be a good place to start, as they tend to stay on the list for a while. It may also provide you with some ideas for a career pivot within your area of expertise, which you may not have considered earlier.
The list covers seven industries, 30 occupational categories and 147 specific job titles, which MOM identified as suffering a shortage of workers:
1. Specialty ingredient application scientist
2. Novel food biotechnologist
3. Chemical engineering technician (petroleum/ natural gas)
4. Chemical processing and chemical products plant controller
5. Materials engineer
6. Carbon project/ program manager
7. Carbon standards and methodology analyst
8. Carbon trader
9. Clinical psychologist
10. Diagnostic radiographer
11. Genetic counsellor
12. Pharmacist (patient care)
13. Registered nurse
14. Podiatrist
15. Medical social worker
16. Artificial intelligence (AI)/ machine learning (ML) engineer
17. Artificial intelligence (AI) applied researcher
18. Cloud specialist
19. Data scientist
20. Digital forensics specialist
21. Forward deployed engineer
22. Penetration testing specialist
23. Quantum scientist/engineer
24. Software developer
25. Marine superintendent
26. Marine technical superintendent
27. Automation engineer
28. Materials engineer
29. Semi-conductor engineer
30. Process engineer
As you can see, the list consists largely of jobs in three main categories: healthcare, IT and engineering, with a few specialised ones on the fringes (Agritech, Green Economy, Maritime).
Despite the rise of AI, the demand for skilled IT personnel is still high—it just requires the right skills.
This typically means either someone specialising in AI itself or someone with experience in cybersecurity, which is very high on the agenda of all companies and the government, given the new threats emerging almost every day thanks to artificial intelligence.
Semiconductor manufacturing, which is at the centre of Singapore’s current economic boom, is also looking for candidates, although it carries some risk should the AI bubble burst, collapsing the demand for hardware. Until then, however, it might be one of the lucrative jobs out there.
You can also notice a pattern of professions reflecting Singapore’s key strengths, like Chemicals or Maritime services, and also vulnerabilities, like its dependence on imports for food (a portion of which would best be grown locally) or the ageing of the local society, which keeps increasing the demand for healthcare workers.
Doctors have rarely, if ever, had any issues with employment, but if you’re studying or working in engineering or computer science, this list could be a good indication of what to specialise in, and where to look for work in the coming year or two, if not longer.
Also Read: S’pore Q3 2026 retrenchments hit 4,800, a nearly six-year high
Featured Image Credit: Google Street View, enhanced using AI
