95% of Singapore employers face tech hiring crunch amid AI skills shift: report

Singapore – A staggering 95% of employers in the city-state continue to face challenges filling technical roles, even as the broader global hiring panic shows signs of cooling.

The latest report from the General Assembly (GA), part of LHH, the professional talent solutions arm of The Adecco Group, reveals that while the crisis is widespread, it is no longer viewed as “extreme” by most local firms. 

Sima Sadaat, Country Manager, General Assembly Singapore, said, “The findings highlight a clear shift in how organisations and individuals are approaching AI skills, with growing recognition that upskilling must be a shared responsibility. In Singapore’s tech-driven economy, the ability to apply AI effectively is essential across roles, not just in technical functions.”

Only 5% of Singaporean employers describe recruitment as extremely difficult—a sharp contrast to the 11% in the US and 16% in the UK still grappling with severe vacancies.

The move comes as the market hits a “data talent bottleneck”. While software engineering remains a core need, the real pressure point is now data analytics and data science. 

A significant 58% of Singaporean employers cite these roles as the hardest to fill, outstripping the demand seen in the US (44%) and the UK (43%).

Beyond the balance sheet, firms are pivoting toward flexible staffing to bridge the gap. Only 33% of Singaporean employers now default to hiring full-time staff when tech needs arise. 

Instead, roughly 33% of the local market has turned to freelancers or contingent workers, a higher reliance on the gig economy than seen in their US counterparts.

Cost, rather than time, is the primary hurdle for workforce transformation; 58% of Singaporean firms cite financial constraints as the main barrier to training, compared to 44% in the US. 

Consequently, local employers are looking inward, with 37% relying on internally developed training programmes rather than external vendors.

The shift towards cross-border talent is also accelerating. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Singapore employers are already outsourcing or planning to do so to bypass visa complications. 

This trend coincides with a new philosophy on AI: 50% of Singaporean firms now view building AI literacy as a shared responsibility between the company and the individual.

While automation has already touched 52% of entry-level roles, the local sense of urgency remains measured. 

Most firms are opting to adapt through internal upskilling and diversified hiring models rather than treating the AI shift as a catastrophe.