SINGAPORE: Singapore employees are displaying as much as work, placing in additional hours, and even adopting synthetic intelligence (AI), but many nonetheless don’t really feel safe about their future.
A brand new Individuals at Work report by ADP Analysis, cited by Vulcan Publish (Might 21), reveals that solely 15% of employees in Singapore strongly imagine their jobs are protected from elimination. This positioned Singapore among the many lowest-ranked markets globally for job safety confidence.
Out of 36 markets surveyed, solely 4 scored decrease than Singapore. Throughout the Asia-Pacific (APAC) area, the common was barely larger, at 18%, whereas the worldwide common was 22%. Unemployment stays comparatively low worldwide, but confidence doesn’t seem like following.
Individuals at Work Report/ADP Analysis
Infographic: Singapore ranks among the many lowest globally for employee confidence in job safety in 2026
Employees at the moment are frightened about relevance, not simply employment
In accordance with Jessica Zhang, Senior Vice President for Asia-Pacific at ADP, employees are pondering past whether or not they have a pay cheque as we speak. Her level was that many staff at the moment are asking a unique query: Will my job nonetheless matter just a few years from now?
Considerations now transcend being centred on layoffs or financial downturns as employees watch automation, AI adoption, altering enterprise wants and how briskly and simply expertise can turn out to be outdated.
Zhang mentioned employers must do greater than reassure employees. Firms ought to clarify how jobs are altering, what which means in sensible phrases and proceed investing in coaching so staff can keep helpful and adaptable whereas supporting enterprise efficiency.
Working extra doesn’t all the time imply feeling safer
The report additionally discovered that many employees in Singapore are placing in unpaid hours. About 45% mentioned they labored over 5 unpaid hours every week. Amongst them, 35% reported clocking between six and 15 unpaid hours weekly, whereas one other 10% mentioned they exceeded 16 hours.
The determine for six to fifteen unpaid hours was above the Asia-Pacific (APAC) common. There’s an uncomfortable distinction in these numbers. Longer hours are often seen as an indication of dedication or ambition, but they don’t seem to translate into better job safety.
Although it doesn’t imply arduous work has no worth, it nonetheless suggests employees more and more see staying employed and staying related as two separate challenges.
AI is arriving, however engagement isn’t rising with it simply but
Singapore additionally recorded pretty excessive ranges of generative AI use. Round 23% of employees mentioned they used AI nearly each day, whereas solely 8% mentioned that they had by no means tried it. But worker engagement remained muted.
Absolutely engaged employees made up simply 12% of Singapore’s workforce in each 2024 and 2025, beneath the regional common of 15%, a mix is value taking note of, as extra instruments don’t robotically create extra confidence. Know-how could enhance velocity and output, however employees nonetheless need readability about the place they slot in.
The deeper concern could also be certainty in employment
ADP Analysis surveyed greater than 39,000 grownup employees throughout 36 markets between July and August 2025, together with over 13,000 respondents from APAC.
For Singapore, the findings level to one thing additional than job cuts. Many employees nonetheless have jobs, however what seems to be fading is confidence that as we speak’s job will nonetheless look acquainted tomorrow.
The sensible reply is neither panic nor limitless time beyond regulation. Employees can preserve constructing expertise. Employers can talk earlier. As a result of when individuals perceive the place work is heading, uncertainty tends to shrink.
