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Labour · East Asia & Pacific · High income

Singapore: the labour market

Labour force is 3.8m (2025), 97th of 187 in the world and 14th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Participation rate is 69.7% (2025), 30th of 187 in the world and 6th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Women's participation is 63.6% (2025), 27th of 187 in the world and 6th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific.

Labour force3.8m2025 · world 97/187 · region 14/29Participation rate69.7%2025 · world 30/187 · region 6/29Women's participation63.6%2025 · world 27/187 · region 6/29Employment rate67.7%2025 · world 24/187 · region 5/29
Labour force
Singapore
01.0m2.0m3.0m4.0m1995200020052010201520202025Singapore3.8m
Participation rate
SingaporeEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025Singapore69.7%East Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Singapore in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total3.8m202597/18714/292.1m2.9m3.4m+12%since 20151.3bn734m3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+69.7%202530/1876/2965.4%67.4%68.7%+0.1 ppsince 201565.2%61.0%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+63.6%202527/1876/2952.1%57.1%61.7%+2.3 ppsince 201558.1%54.3%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)67.7%202524/1875/2962.9%64.6%65.9%+0.8 ppsince 201562.7%58.3%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)2.8%2025155/18716/293.7%4.1%4.1%−1.0 ppsince 20153.8%4.4%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)2.9%2025156/18716/293.5%4.4%4.4%−1.1 ppsince 20153.4%4.6%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)6.8%2025147/18718/296.8%9.4%10.6%−2.1 ppsince 201512.5%11.5%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %6.5%2025161/17025/28··4.5%+2.9 ppsince 201515.3%10.6%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment87.3%202531/1875/2984.6%85.5%86.2%+1.3 ppsince 201561.0%88.9%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)9.3%2025155/18724/299.8%9.2%9.7%+1.0 ppsince 201535.3%8.0%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment0.1%2025187/18729/290.2%0.1%0.1%±0.0 ppsince 201521.7%2.9%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment14.0%2025150/18722/2927.3%21.7%14.8%−3.3 ppsince 201528.5%22.2%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment85.9%20254/1872/2972.5%78.1%85.1%+3.3 ppsince 201549.9%74.9%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Singapore and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Singapore. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorSingaporeIndonesiaMalaysia
Labour force3.8m2025147m202518.7m2025
Participation rate69.7%202568.0%202566.1%2025
Women's participation63.6%202553.7%202551.6%2025
Employment rate67.7%202565.8%202563.6%2025
Unemployment2.8%20253.2%20253.8%2025
Female unemployment2.9%20253.0%20253.9%2025
Youth unemployment6.8%202513.0%202512.0%2025
Youth NEET rate6.5%202521.6%202310.2%2022
Wage workers87.3%202546.7%202574.6%2025
Indonesia: labourMalaysia: labour
Labour in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedLabour: high-income countries86 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesSingapore: all key statisticscountry profile