Singapore’s finance sector hit by the second-highest job cuts rate

Employment reductions place services near the top of the industry ranking.

Financial and insurance services recorded the second-highest retrenchment rate amongst industries in Singapore in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a study by Briefcase Index.

The sector posted a retrenchment rate of 0.222%, behind information and communications, which topped the ranking at 0.270%. Wholesale and retail trade followed at 0.173%.

The study found that the retrenchment rate in information and communications was around 2.4 times higher than the average across industries included in the ranking, which stood at 0.115%.

Professional services and manufacturing completed the top five, with retrenchment rates of 0.144% and 0.116%, respectively. 

Transportation and storage recorded 0.068%, whilst real estate services and administrative and support services posted 0.052% and 0.051%. Accommodation and food services stood at 0.026%.

Construction had the lowest retrenchment rate amongst the industries analysed, at 0.025%.

The findings were based on data from the Singapore Department of Statistics, including employment levels by sector, changes in employment, and the number of retrenched employees by industry. 

Retrenchment rates were calculated by dividing the number of employees retrenched in the fourth quarter of 2025 by total employment in each industry during the same period, then multiplying the result by 100.