SummarySingapore recorded 4,500 retrenchments between April and June, a 17.5% increase from the previous quarter and the highest quarterly total since late 2020. SINGAPORE: Singapore’s layoffs climbed to their highest quarterly level since the pandemic, even though employers continued adding jobs across the economy. The 17.5% increase marks the highest quarterly retrenchment figure since the fourth quarter of 2020, when COVID-19 disruptions led to 5,640 layoffs. The data suggest companies are reshaping their operations rather than responding to a sharp fall in overall labour demand. By June, 43.9% of employers expected to increase hiring over the following three months, up from 40.6% in May.