Download Report
Quick Links
Q2
ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey
2026
SINGAPORE FINDINGS
Quick Links
Download Report
Employer Hiring Sentiment
Outlooks by Vertical
About the Survey
Quick Links
Download Report
Download Report
Contact Us
Contact Us
Share
Press Release
Press Release
Download Report
Download Report
Dive deeper into data and trends, including pay equity and beyond.
Download the world's most comprehensive employment survey.
This website and its materials contain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding labor demand in certain regions, countries and industries, and economic uncertainty. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, due to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These factors include those found in the Company's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the information under the heading "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, whose information is incorporated herein by reference. ManpowerGroup disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements in this release, except as required by law.
Forward-Looking Statements
The data for the second quarter was collected between January 1 and February 3, 2026, prior to geopolitical developments that began across the Middle East in late February. The findings reflect employer sentiment at the time of data collection and may not capture the potential impact of subsequent events. The size of organizations and sectors are standardized across all countries to allow international comparisons.
ManpowerGroup has introduced an updated industry sector classification to ensure our insights more closely reflect today’s global economy. Beginning with the Q1 2026 release, data will be reported across nine sectors: Construction & Real Estate; Finance & Insurance; Hospitality; Information; Manufacturing; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Public Sector, Health & Social Services; and Trade & Logistics. Historical data has been reclassified to maintain consistency over time, and national and regional results remain unchanged.
For more than six decades the survey has derived all of its information from a single question (Q2 2026 example):
“How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of June 2026 as compared to the current quarter?"
This sample allows for analysis to be performed across specific sectors and regions to provide more detailed information.
The survey is based on interviews with more than 41,000 public and private employers across 42 countries to measure anticipated employment trends each quarter.
The survey is conducted with a representative sample of employers from throughout the countries and territories in which it is conducted. The survey participants are not derived from ManpowerGroup’s customer base.
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is the most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, asking employers to forecast employment over the next quarter. In contrast, other surveys and studies focus on retrospective data to report on what occurred in the past.
It is unparalleled in its size, scope, longevity and area of focus.
Survey Methodology
Focused
Robust
Independent
Unique
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind, used globally as a key economic indicator. The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity. Running since 1962, various factors underpin the success of the Survey:
About the Survey
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
The Q2 2026 Singapore Net Employment Outlook improved since the previous quarter (+10 points) but declined year-over-year (-3 points).
Changes Over Time
1%
Were Unsure
33%
Reported
No Change
21%
Anticipated a Decrease
45%
Anticipated an Increase
To understand the overall impact on hiring, referred to as the Net Employment Outlook (NEO), the percentage of employers expecting to decrease staffing levels is subtracted from those intending to increase hiring.
Net Employment Outlook Results
Q2 2026
The Equation
The Net Employment Outlook (NEO) measures the % difference between expected increases and decreases in staffing for the quarter.
What Sets It Apart
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is the world’s most comprehensive and forward-looking employment survey, serving as a trusted labor market indicator since 1962.
What Is It?
shared whether their staffing levels would remain unchanged, increase through new hiring, or decrease due to layoffs or anticipated departures.
More than 41,000 employers globally
Understanding the Survey
Q2 Employer Hiring Sentiment
year-on-year (YoY)
- 3
quarter-on-quarter (QoQ)
POINTS
as they forecast Q2 staffing changes in the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.
24%
reported a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of
Singapore
employers in
538
Executive Summary
-
=
%
%
NEO
Expected Staffing Increase
Expected Staffing Decrease
FAQ
FAQ
POINTS
+10
Download Industry Snapshot
Download Industry Snapshot
The data for the second quarter was collected between January 1 and February 3, 2026, prior to geopolitical developments that began across the Middle East in late February. The findings reflect employer sentiment at the time of data collection and may not capture the potential impact of subsequent events.
Download Industry Snapshot
Download Industry Snapshot
Back to Survey
Back to Survey
There are several ways to review the results which are reported for 42 countries across 3 major regions and 9 industry sectors within each. The current results, including the Net Employment Outlook, provide a snapshot of employers’ expectations for the coming three months. Comparing this result to the previous quarter provides a short-term perspective of hiring expectations in a particular country or sector, while comparing to the previous year gives a longer-term view on employer intentions.
What is the best way to analyze the results? Is it better to look at quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year comparisons?
ManpowerGroup does not track retrospective hiring trends as part of the Employment Outlook Survey, only forward-looking expectations. However, we are able to see that the Survey results do align with employment trends reported by governments and other organizations quite closely and provide one of the most robust and trusted indicators of forward-looking labor market trends in the world.
How do you know if hiring intentions reported come to fruition?
Seasonal adjustment is a statistical process that allows the Survey data to be presented without the impact of hiring fluctuations that normally occur through the course of the year, usually as a result of various external factors, such changes in weather, traditional production cycles and public holidays. Seasonal adjustment has the effect of flattening peaks and smoothing troughs in the data to better illustrate underlying employment trends and provide a more accurate representation of the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey results.
Why do you seasonally adjust the data?
By their very nature, surveys are imperfect measures. All surveys have a margin of error, which is largely determined by the number of interviews completed. For the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, the minimum panel size in each country and territory is 620 to ensure a margin of error no greater than +/-3.9%. This prevents undue distortion of the data because of one respondent changing their response from one quarter to the next. No single panel member represents more than 2% of the total sample in an industry sector or region.
Can you explain the Margin of Error calculation?
Reputation Leaders is our lead research partner who cleans and prepares the data for all 42 countries and territories to ensure consistency.
Who conducts the research?
The person we select to interview will be someone with a good overview of staffing levels and hiring intentions within their organization. Normally this will be the head of HR or an HR manager. However, in smaller organizations, that person may be a general manager or even the CEO.
Who do you interview in each company?
Employers are selected based on the types of companies and organizations they represent. We want to ensure that our panel is representative of each participating country’s national labor market, so each country’s panel is built in proportion to that country’s overall distribution of industry sectors and organization sizes.
How are companies selected for the survey?
The methodology used to collect the data for the Employment Outlook is digitized across the 42 markets, beginning with the Q1 2022 report.
Respondents in previous quarters were contacted via telephone. Data is now collected online with double opt-in member panels, and they are incentivized to complete the survey.
The survey participants are not derived from ManpowerGroup’s customer base. To protect the integrity of the data, survey respondents remain completely anonymous and confidential.
In line with standard findings of online surveys, more people are now taking a position – selecting that their workforce will either increase or decrease vs. no change. Because the Net Employment Outlook is based only on the people choosing increase or decrease, the result of this higher level of engagement means the methodology shift may contribute to a higher Outlook.
What is the survey methodology?
The Q2 2026 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is based on interviews with 41,764 public and private employers in 42 countries.
How large is the sample worldwide?
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey only measures if employers expect to hire or not and does not provide information about specific job changes. The Survey is a forecast, not a commitment, based on informed opinions from employers and hiring managers on what will likely happen in their organization in the following quarter.
Does the survey provide data on planned employment changes?
The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers that expect to see a decrease in employment at their location in the next quarter. A positive Net Employment Outlook figure means that, on balance, there are more employers who expect to add to their headcount in the following three months than those who intend to reduce staff.
What is meant by Net Employment Outlook (NEO)?
All the data in the survey is based on the answer to one question: How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the coming three months as compared to the current quarter?
In addition to the main employment question, the survey asks up to six additional questions which change quarterly. These questions reflect changing economic or workforce dynamics and trends. Topic areas range from talent shortage to workforce training and development to employee sentiments and well-being.
What questions do you ask in the survey?
FAQ
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey measures employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the upcoming quarter. It is the most extensive forward-looking survey of its kind, unparalleled in its size, scope and longevity. The Survey has been running since 1962 and is one of the most trusted indicators of labor market trends in the world.
What is the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey?
ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Q2 2026
FAQ