Debated in Parliament on 12 Jan 2026.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry has assessed or intends to assess if "ghost jobs", referring to job postings that do not exist or that companies do not intend to fill immediately, is a contributing factor in lowering job mobility.
The lower job mobility in recent years, as reflected by the lower rate of job switching reported in the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) Labour Force in Singapore 2025 report, is mainly associated with reduced labour turnover. This could be attributed to a decline in resignation rates since 2022 as labour market tightness moderated from its post-pandemic peak and greater worker caution amid external economic uncertainties in 2025. With fewer workers leaving their jobs, fewer replacement vacancies arose, leading to lower recruitment activity and fewer opportunities for job switching.
Hiring and job search processes are inherently dynamic and job postings may close without a hire or remain unfilled due to legitimate reasons, such as unexpected changes in business plans or inability to find suitable candidates. There may be a small number of instances where employers post vacancies as a token measure to meet the rules on fair consideration for locals. MOM will investigate such cases upon receiving feedback and take enforcement action against errant employers if the allegations are found to be true to safeguard fair hiring.
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