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New Top Employers Institute research finds 71% have considered leaving due to increased workloads, highlighting challenges in building a future-ready workforce.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As organisations navigate AI, automation and evolving skills requirements, new research from Top Employers Institute reveals mounting workforce pressures in Singapore.
The findings form part of Beyond Collar Colours: Building more mobile, secure, and resilient workforces, a new report based on research involving more than 10,000 workers across 15 countries, including Singapore.
Key findings among respondents surveyed in Singapore:
- 77% report that staff shortages have increased over the past year.
- 71% have considered leaving because of increased workloads.
- 86% are satisfied with their current jobs.
- 54% are considering leaving or actively looking for another opportunity, comprising those actively job-seeking (14%) or considering leaving due to better opportunities elsewhere (15%), restructuring or job cuts (15%), or concerns about AI and automation (10%).
- 72% feel confident developing skills for future roles, while 72% believe their employer would provide opportunities to move between hands-on and office-based work.
These findings suggest that job satisfaction does not necessarily translate into long-term career security. Employees may value their current roles while remaining concerned about future opportunities, organisational changes or technological disruption.
Billy Elliott, Regional Director, Asia, Top Employers Institute, said:
“Singapore’s workforce is navigating significant change. Employees are being asked to develop new skills, embrace AI and adapt to evolving roles, often while managing increasing workloads.
“Building a future-ready workforce isn’t simply about providing more training. Employers must create the conditions for employees to develop, including manageable workloads, supportive managers and genuine opportunities for career mobility.
“Ultimately, workforce resilience depends on helping employees see a future within their organisation, rather than simply keeping them in their current roles.”
The report recommends three priorities: creating conditions for adaptation, building employability and enabling mobility through clearer career pathways across traditional blue- and white-collar boundaries.
Read the full report: Beyond Collar Colours
About Top Employers Institute: The global authority on recognising excellence in people practices, providing Certification, benchmarking and advisory services.
Methodology: Opinion Matters surveyed 10,181 employees across 15 countries between 11 August and 3 September 2026, including 519 Singapore respondents. Global results were weighted equally across countries. The data referring to organisational adoption of Best Practices has been extracted from the anonymised responses of 2,498 global participants of the Top Employers Institute’s HR Best Practices Survey for 2026.
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