SINGAPORE: Singapore’s newest graduates are entering the workforce with high hopes and, in many cases, lower-than-expected pay packets.

A recent Ministry of Manpower (MOM) survey, cited by Channel NewsAsia (CNA), found that graduates across most fields are earning less than they anticipated when they first started job searching. The mismatch is prompting analysts to urge young job seekers to be more realistic about salary expectations as hiring conditions become tougher.

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The findings also reveal a growing tension between what graduates believe they are worth and what employers are willing to pay in an uncertain economy.

Salary expectations meet market reality

The survey, which covered residents aged 22 to 28, showed noticeable differences between expected and actual starting salaries across several disciplines.

Information technology graduates expected an average monthly pay of S$6,000 but earned about S$5,150. Engineering sciences graduates anticipated S$5,000 but received around S$4,450.

Business administration graduates faced one of the largest mismatches. While many expected S$5,000, average earnings came in closer to S$4,000. Natural and mathematical sciences graduates also saw a sizeable difference, with expected salaries of S$5,000 and actual earnings averaging S$3,700.

Not every discipline experienced disappointment, though. Law graduates exceeded expectations, earning about S$7,500, compared with an expected salary of S$6,500. Education graduates also slightly outperformed expectations, while fine and applied arts graduates generally earned what they expected.

The figures suggest that graduate salary expectations are becoming increasingly disconnected from hiring realities in some sectors.

Low salaries are one of the reasons fresh grads reject job offers

The survey also examined why some graduates walk away from job offers. Low pay emerged as the leading reason. Among university graduates who rejected offers, 30.6 per cent said the salary was not attractive enough.

Others believed better opportunities might be available elsewhere, while some felt the roles didn’t match their interests. Workplace culture and career progression were also factors behind the rejection of offers.

Professor Lawrence Loh, Director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, said that salary concerns are linked to rising living costs and long-term career planning.

His view was that many graduates see their first salary as an important benchmark because future increments can be harder to secure. A stronger starting point can influence earnings and career opportunities for years to come.

Knowing your value and understanding the market

Analysts say graduates who insist on holding out for ideal salaries may face longer job searches. Anurag Garg, Country Lead at recruitment firm Michael Page Singapore, said that extended job-seeking can leave candidates frustrated and cause them to miss suitable opportunities.

At the same time, employers are facing their own challenges. Companies competing for skilled talent are seeing more offers rejected, which can slow hiring and increase recruitment costs.

The deeper problem may be one of expectations. Graduates want salaries that match their qualifications and rising costs of living. Employers, meanwhile, are navigating inflation, economic uncertainty and tighter budgets.

For Singapore’s newest job seekers, the lesson may be to know your value, but understand the market. The first job doesn’t have to be the perfect job, as building experience, skills and a track record creates more earning power than waiting indefinitely for an ideal offer.

This article (SG job analyst: Singapore fresh grads need to ‘taper down’ their salary expectations or risk delaying their entry into the workforce) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Companies cannot avoid calling a retrenchment a retrenchment simply by asking workers to apply for jobs overseas, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) stated, following concerns that some employers are presenting job cuts as fresh career opportunities during restructuring exercises.

According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), both organisations said that if a role in Singapore becomes redundant, the situation is still considered a retrenchment, regardless of whether the employee is invited to apply for a position elsewhere in the company.

The issue came into focus after Swedish fashion retailer H&M announced plans to move its Southeast Asia headquarters from Singapore to Malaysia. Employees across East Asia were reportedly asked to apply for 178 positions across the region, many of which had shifted out of Singapore. Workers who fail to secure a role could leave under what the company described as mutual separation arrangements.

When retrenchment becomes a “new job opportunity”

NTUC said it is concerned about cases where workers are asked to reapply for local or overseas positions while their existing Singapore roles are being eliminated.

The union stated that if a Singapore-based position is eliminated due to redundancy, the worker’s employment relationship with the local entity ends. In such cases, the exercise should be recognised as a retrenchment rather than a new employment opportunity.

MOM said a retrenchment occurs when a role no longer exists in Singapore, including situations where it has been relocated overseas, even if the employee applies for another role within the organisation.

The clarification is important because retrenchment carries expectations around notification, compensation and support that may not be as obvious under alternative labels.

Some companies avoid the word “retrenchment” to reduce negative perceptions

Human resources professionals who were interviewed said some companies may prefer terms such as restructuring, calibration or mutual separation because they sound less severe.

Ms Archana Srinivasan, founder and director of Alchemy People Partners, said some restructuring exercises are genuine responses to regional expansion, automation or cost pressures. Others, however, may package workforce reductions in softer language to reduce negative perceptions.

Mr Ian Liew, an HR practitioner with more than a decade of experience, however, said that changing the label does little to alter the reality for affected workers. He said the real test lies in whether employees receive fair redeployment opportunities, adequate support and proper compensation.

The differing opinions show companies across industries are under pressure to cut costs and reorganise operations, particularly as technology and regionalisation reshape business structures.

The grey area around “mutual separation”

One of the more contentious issues involves mutual separation agreements. These agreements are typically presented as voluntary exits. However, lawyers and HR experts stated that they can create uncertainty when workers are leaving because their jobs have effectively disappeared.

Mr Terence Seah, partner at Virtus Law, said employers cannot escape their contractual obligations simply by avoiding the word “retrenchment”. The key question remains what the employment contract requires and what actually happened to the role.

Ms Srinivasan noted that some employers may argue that no retrenchment occurred if workers voluntarily sign separation agreements. This creates a legal and practical grey area, even when the underlying reason for departure is job redundancy.

She advised employees to seek professional advice before signing such agreements and stressed that workers cannot be forced into them.

Workers may lose out financially

The distinctions used can have real financial consequences for retrenched employees. Under tripartite guidelines, retrenchment benefits are commonly recommended at between two weeks and one month’s salary for every year of service, although these guidelines are not legally binding.

Mr Liew pointed out another difference. Retrenchment payments made to compensate for job loss are generally not taxable, while ex gratia payments under mutual separation agreements are typically treated as taxable income by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Meaning, workers could receive less after tax, even if the headline payout appears similar.

Other retrenchment labels: Restructuring, calibration, redeployment or mutual separation

Beyond legal obligations, experts who were interviewed repeatedly returned to one theme: transparency.

Singapore Human Resources Institute Chief Executive Officer Alvin Aloysius Goh said employees feel uncertain when alternative roles are significantly different or not practical for their circumstances. He said employers should handle redeployment and separation discussions fairly and openly.

HR consultant Christine Chan added that workers can feel stranded when companies offer relocated jobs without providing enough information about relocation packages or employment terms. The lack of certainty creates more stress than the restructuring itself.

For employees, the lesson is to look beyond the label. Whether a company calls it restructuring, calibration, redeployment or mutual separation, the key issue is whether the original Singapore role still exists.

MOM, NTUC, and labour experts advise employers that workers are more likely to accept difficult decisions when companies explain them properly, provide meaningful support, and call things as they are.

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Read related: Singapore retrenchments 2026: Amazon, Tiger Beer, Yeo’s, and more firms cut jobs amid rising energy costs and weak demand

This article (MOM/NTUC: Employers cannot disguise retrenchments as ‘new opportunities’ by asking Singapore workers to reapply for jobs overseas) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

The job vacancies that U.S. employers posted in April were up from 6.9 million in March and much higher than the 6.8 million economists had forecast.

clgkhkrf54 posted a photo:

WPA Photographs of the Great Depression by Dorothea Lange. These images are on file at the Library of Congress under the 8 digit alpha-numeric code at the end of the file name. See: guides.loc.gov/migrant-mother

SINGAPORE: In today’s job market, being ghosted after submitting applications is already frustrating, but going through multiple interviews only to end up with no offers can feel even worse. 

One Singaporean job seeker recently shared on Reddit that he is facing exactly this situation, having sent out around 300 job applications over the past month without securing a single offer.

Posting on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, he shared that he has been applying to a mix of local and overseas companies, focusing on technical positions that fit his background and experience.

The good news? Recruiters seem interested enough to talk to him.

The bad news? Those conversations are not leading anywhere.

According to the job seeker, his hundreds of applications have resulted in around 14 interviews so far. While that might sound like progress, he admitted that none of them has translated into an actual job offer.

“I know there have already been many posts about how bad the job market is right now, but I wanted to hear from others and understand whether this is normal,” he continued.

“For context, I’m in tech, but not applying mainly for SWE roles. I’m targeting more technical roles outside of pure software engineering.”

Looking for answers, he asked fellow Singaporeans, particularly those who are also job hunting in the tech industry: “ Is this application-to-interview rate normal right now? Is getting interviews but no offers common in the current market? How long did it take you to land an offer? What helped you improve your interview-to-offer conversion? Are referrals making a big difference compared to cold applications?” 

He added. “I’m not trying to complain—just trying to understand if my experience is normal or if I should change my strategy. Appreciate any advice or experiences.”

“Build a strong network.”

In the comments, many Singaporean Redditors told the job seeker that his application-to-interview ratio is actually pretty normal in today’s job market.

One Redditor shared, “Normal everywhere, bro. Not just tech. I am serious when I say a resume (full of grammar mistakes) I had when I was 16 got me a higher job application/interviews/offers ratio than my polished resume as an adult.”

Another commenter noted that securing 14 interviews from 300 applications is actually a solid conversion rate given the current hiring climate.

Others, however, offered more direct feedback on where things might be going wrong.

One Redditor explained, “Getting 14 interviews with zero offers usually points to one of a few things, either your answers aren’t landing the way you think they are, you’re struggling to communicate your value clearly under pressure, or you’re not asking enough questions that show you’ve done your homework on the company.”

They added, “Practice answering questions out loud, record yourself, get feedback from someone who will actually be critical rather than kind, and really tailor your answers to each role.”

Another Redditor said salary expectations could also be a factor.

“It’s got to do with your asking as well. If you are asking for S$100k a year for a job that pays between S$60k and S$100k, your failure rate is high.”

A third user added that relying solely on online job applications may not be enough these days.

Based on their experience, building and tapping into a professional network tends to work much better.

They shared, “I constantly speak to people in my industry (tech) and meet up with them 1-2 times a year. Most of the hiring managers I’ve talked to and kept in contact with reach out to me to offer me a job; I get these offers 3-4 times a year. All the companies I’ve worked with previously would reach out to me and ask me to recommend someone for a position. It’s very common now; people trust referrals more. So definitely build a strong network.”

In other news, a 22-year-old Singaporean woman says she feels used and emotionally drained after allegedly being made to pay for most of her relationship expenses while her boyfriend claimed he was “saving for their future.”

In a post shared on a local forum on Thursday (May 21), the woman said she has been dating her boyfriend since 2023.

Read more: SG woman says boyfriend earning S$5K–S$6K still expected her to cover most expenses

This article (After 300 applications and multiple interviews, job seeker wonders why offers aren’t coming) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Singapore is prepared to pay more to attract new local bus captains, but the harder task is convincing them to stay.

From next year, new Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains will receive a S$450 monthly starting salary increase, along with a higher sign-on bonus of S$2,000. The changes could lift first-year earnings by around S$600 a month, pushing average monthly pay beyond S$4,000 when overtime, allowances and bonuses are included.

The move comes as the public bus sector grapples with a shrinking share of local drivers. The proportion of Singaporean and permanent resident bus captains fell from 54 per cent in 2021 to 41 per cent in 2025, according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA )’s June 5 report. For many existing drivers, however, salary has never been the only issue.

The job starts at 3 am, long before sunrise

Several bus captains said that while better pay would attract newcomers, the realities of the job catch people off guard.

Bus drivers may begin work as early as 3 am to prepare for the first buses leaving depots before dawn. Working hours can be irregular, meal times unpredictable and shifts physically draining.

One common complaint is the split-shift arrangement. Drivers may work the morning rush, take an unpaid break lasting several hours, then return for the evening peak period.

Former public bus captain Muhammad Naz Farihin said these long breaks can make an entire day feel like it’s consumed by work, even though part of it is unpaid downtime. Many newcomer drivers also said they leave within their first year after discovering the demands involved.

Bus drivers don’t just drive a bus

The public usually sees bus captains as people who move passengers from one stop to another. Drivers say the role involves far more.

Besides operating large vehicles safely, bus captains handle customer service issues, manage emergencies and keep services running on tight schedules. Some are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and may be among the first to respond during medical incidents.

One bus captain said he hopes the higher salaries will help raise public appreciation of the profession. He argued that the job requires a set of skills that many commuters may not fully notice.

Bus operators are promising changes in bus driving schedules

Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences said bus driving is a specialised role that demands discipline and reliability. Unlike gig work, drivers cannot simply decide not to show up. A missing bus captain can disrupt an entire service.

He also said salaries needed to be competitive enough to attract people who have other job options, including mid-career workers who may already earn higher wages elsewhere.

Bus operators are also promising changes beyond pay. Measures under consideration include reducing split shifts, shortening continuous driving periods and offering better career progression opportunities.

Higher salaries may bring more people through the door. Retaining skilled drivers will likely depend on operators’ ability to make the work more sustainable over the long term.

Buses don’t run on engines alone. They run on people willing to show up before sunrise, navigate traffic safely and carry thousands of commuters to their destinations every day.

This article (SG bus captains: Higher salary offers attract new bus drivers, but long working hours and gruelling split-shifts can’t make them stay on beyond one year) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s job market has taken a sharp turn. After ending 2025 on a stronger footing than many expected, businesses are now showing far less appetite to hire.

New survey data from the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS), reported by Vulcan Post, points to weaker business sentiment over the next six months and softer hiring plans across much of the economy.

When hiring slows there, the effects spread beyond office towers and into everyday spending, household planning, and career decisions.

Manufacturing finds support while other sectors lose steam

The outlook isn’t equally weak across every sector. Manufacturing seems to be holding up better than expected, supported by demand linked to artificial intelligence (AI), especially in semiconductor-related activity. According to the report, this strength has helped cushion weaker performance elsewhere in manufacturing.

Still, that support comes with limits. The article noted that gains are uneven and concentrated in select areas rather than broad-based growth, meaning stronger demand in one corner of the economy doesn’t automatically create opportunities across the board.

Services face the bigger hiring slowdown

Earlier in the year, most industries still expected to expand hiring after a stronger-than-expected 2025, but this optimism has now faded.

The latest business outlook shows that only recreation and personal services expect higher hiring activity. Several sectors that are usually seen as dependable employers are turning more cautious. Finance, viewed as a stable source of professional jobs, is also expected to face pressure rather than expansion.

Retail trade recorded one of the steepest changes in sentiment. Expectations moved from net positive territory earlier in the year into negative ground, making it one of the sectors facing the strongest pullback.

Longer job search periods and tougher competition for openings

Hiring sentiment doesn’t equal actual job losses, but it does act as an early signal. Companies usually reduce expansion plans before making larger workforce decisions. When uncertainty rises and costs increase, employers tend to delay recruitment and become more selective.

For Singaporeans planning a job switch, returning to work, or entering the market, this could mean longer search periods and tougher competition for openings.

At the same time, hiring slowdowns don’t hit every skill group equally. Areas linked to technology, automation and specialised industrial work may continue to see demand even as hiring cools.

Businesses are choosing caution in hiring for now

In summary, many employers seem to be waiting for greater stability before making hiring commitments.

Singapore has navigated difficult periods before and recovered faster than expected, but for now, the mood has changed from expansion to caution.

When hiring weakens, workers who keep skills current, stay flexible and expand their options usually give themselves the best chance of riding out slower cycles.

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Read related: Meta terminates 8,000 jobs globally, while Singapore staff receive their termination e-mails at 4 AM, as the company moves on with its new AI-focused teams

This article (Singapore job hiring drops across most sectors despite AI-driven manufacturing demand; employment outlook weakens in the coming months) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A 25-year-old graduate says he is beginning to feel like he is “watching everything collapse” after spending the past six months unemployed despite submitting between 400 and 500 job applications since graduating from a local university in December 2025.

Sharing his frustrations on a local online forum, the graduate shared that he has been applying to practically every type of job available and has long stopped caring about “market average” fresh graduate salaries or whether the position even matches his economics degree.

“Bruh, I’ve applied to countless types of jobs… and nothing, damn,” he wrote. “The number of HR screening calls I can count with one hand, the number of serious interviews/assessments, count with one finger (that’s 1). And that has been put on hold; suddenly the company is re-evaluating if they want to hire for that position (WTF?).”

Although he has been channelling his energy into self-improvement and staying disciplined, he admitted the uncertainty surrounding his future still feels overwhelming.

“I have been trying to stay disciplined, work out, and learn new skills, but honestly the pressure—I got a partner and a future to worry about while my savings are drying up. I don’t know, it feels like everything’s collapsing.”

By the end of his post, the weary graduate said, “Thought I’d vent it all here, if anyone relates, maybe we can talk it out together.”

“It’s time to change up your job search strategy.”

Given the sheer number of applications he had sent out, several Singaporean Redditors speculated that his résumé might be part of the problem.

One individual wrote, “Hmm, maybe there’s a problem with your resume? (Sounds crazy, but just check, I guess.) your resume has some formatting issues causing it to not be picked up by systems properly?” 

“Try to view your applications and make sure whatever info you filled in is correct and your resume is downloadable.”

Another shared, “Not saying this to flex, but something is definitely wrong with your resume. I am getting 2-3 interviews a week in finance, fintech and engineering firms, and failed all my interviews.” 

“The opportunity is certainly there, and it’s not as bleak as what everyone says (yes, I know there’s truth to it, but successful people don’t share their stories online). I hope this can renew your confidence and retackle your problem from the bottom up.”

Some Redditors also encouraged the graduate to stop relying solely on blind online applications and focus more heavily on networking instead.

“At 500 application rejections, it’s time to change up your job search strategy,” one commenter advised.

“Easiest way to get a job is through networking. Sounds like you might just be submitting applications blindly. It’s not about how many jobs you apply for but the quality of each submission. Go network with friends, classmates, family, alum, former colleagues, professors, etc.”
Another person encouraged him to reach out directly to his university for support. 

They said, “What school? Ask the professors and faculty for help. No need to be embarrassed, or they should be when their product fails in the market.” 

“I’m saying this because I and my wife and other alums who are in middle management now have been personally asked by the school (NUS) to hire or at least favor our own graduates whenever possible. Also shows how brutal the market is right now.”

A handful of commenters also attempted to lift the graduate’s spirits, encouraging him not to let the repeated rejections crush his confidence.

One wrote, “Don’t give up. Even though it’s getting harder and harder. If you have specialised software skills, maybe you can do some side hustles. Have not been working since the end of 2022 here.”

Another commented, “Hang in there! One thing that I’ve seen that helped me and others was also getting in through referrals—even if you don’t know somebody, you could connect through LinkedIn and express your interest in the roles, and if they would be okay to refer you in.”

In other news, a fed-up wife turned to social media to vent her frustration after her husband allegedly refused to help out with household chores, even after their domestic helper left the family.

Posting in the SINGAPORE TRANSFER (No Fees/SD), DIRECT HIRE & NEW HELPER Facebook group on Thursday (May 14), she shared that they had had a helper for six years.

Read more: ‘70% of our marriage he’s been jobless’: Wife says unemployed husband refuses to help after maid left

This article (‘It feels like everything’s collapsing’: 25-year-old graduate says he’s still jobless even after sending 400 to 500 applications) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Singapore is looking at ways to help workers before they lose their jobs, rather than waiting until they are already unemployed.

The decision comes as artificial intelligence (AI), automation and industry changes continue to restructure the job market. National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Choo said efforts are underway to identify workers at risk of job displacement and connect them with new career opportunities earlier.

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Speaking after the release of recommendations from Singapore’s Economic Strategy Review (ESR), Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported (June 2), Mr Choo said workers should be guided into growing sectors before layoffs occur. The goal is to reduce income disruption and make career transitions less painful.

Building “career bridges” before jobs disappear

One of the key recommendations is the creation of what the ESR calls “career bridges.” These pathways would help workers move from sectors facing disruption into industries expected to grow in the years ahead.

Healthcare is one example. As Singapore’s population ages, demand for healthcare workers is expected to remain strong. The challenge lies in helping workers from shrinking sectors move into these expanding fields.

That means identifying skills workers already have and helping them gain any additional training needed for a new role.

The recommendation is that, instead of treating unemployment as the starting point for support, policymakers explore ways to intervene much earlier. For workers, this could mean having more options available before a redundancy notice arrives.

More support for professionals and executives

The ESR also proposed stronger support for professionals, managers, and executives (PMEs) navigating career changes.

Singapore already has programmes such as the Jobseeker Support Scheme. Mr Choo suggested that support could be expanded further so that workers feel more secure when considering a move into a different industry or role, as workers may now hold several jobs across different sectors over the course of a lifetime, rather than spending decades in a single profession.

As technology changes how businesses operate, adaptability is becoming a valuable skill in itself.

Balancing business realities with worker needs

Mr Choo acknowledged that restructuring can be difficult for both employers and employees. Some companies delay restructuring because of their long-standing commitment to staff. Others make changes because business conditions leave them little choice.

The ESR recommends earlier notification of restructuring exercises, allowing unions, agencies and support organisations to work with affected workers before layoffs take place.

In addition, reducing uncertainty may help ease anxiety and give workers more time to prepare their next move.

The recommendations were developed over nine months and involved more than 7,700 stakeholders, including workers, unions and businesses.

Lifelong learning is no longer a slogan but a practical career strategy. As jobs continue to change, workers who keep upgrading their skills are likely to have more routes open to them when industries shift to meet their evolving needs.

A helping hand after job loss remains important. Helping people before that point may prove even more valuable.

This article (NTUC: Singapore is looking into ways to better support workers before job losses) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

clgkhkrf54 posted a photo:

WPA Photographs of the Great Depression by Dorothea Lange. These images are on file at the Library of Congress under the 8 digit alpha-numeric code at the end of the file name. See: guides.loc.gov/migrant-mother

clgkhkrf54 posted a photo:

WPA Photographs of the Great Depression by Dorothea Lange. These images are on file at the Library of Congress under the 8 digit alpha-numeric code at the end of the file name. See: guides.loc.gov/migrant-mother

The U.S. added 172,000 jobs in May, beating expectations, as the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3%. With gains in leisure and hospitality, health care and local government, the job situation again showed signs of improvement after a lackluster year in 2025. But the gains were not felt across industries. Jobs in movies and music […]