Singapore’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 1.9% in Q2 2026, slightly below the preliminary estimate of 2.0% and the lowest since Q4 2024, amid stronger economic growth. Yet labour conditions stayed uneven. Layoffs rose to 4,620, the highest since Q4 2020, up from 3,830 in Q1, led by outward-oriented sectors including manufacturing, communications and finance, with restructuring as the main driver. The retrenchment rate increased to 2.0 per 1,000 employees from 1.6 in Q1. Total employment growth accelerated (11,400 vs 9,400 in Q1), mainly driven by non-resident hires as resident gains slowed. Re-entry outcomes dipped, with 54.9% of retrenched residents returning to work versus 60.7% prior. Job vacancies fell (68,600 vs 73,300) and 76,200 in Q2 2025, though still outnumbered unemployed, at 1.48 per job seeker. Forward indicators were mixed: more firms plan to hire, but wage-growth intentions eased, both below February levels, due to caution over hiring and wage increases.