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SINGAPORE: Nearly three in five employers plan to freeze headcount in 2026 amid uncertain business prospects, the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) said on Tuesday (Dec 2).<\/span><\/p>\n About 240 employers hiring more than 120,000 workers responded to an SNEF survey conducted from Jun 25 to Aug 15. The survey found that 72 per cent of employers faced uncertain business prospects this year, up from 58 per cent in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n This translated to 58 per cent of employers intending to freeze headcount next year, compared with 50 per cent in 2024, with small employers more likely to do so at 63 per cent.<\/span><\/p>\n The proportion of employers planning to reduce headcount was similar to last year, SNEF added, with large employers being more likely to reduce headcount.<\/span><\/p>\n The survey, which aimed to understand employers\u2019 business sentiments, manpower challenges, hiring plans, wage outlook and HR priorities, also found a more cautious wage outlook.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Close to half (48 per cent) of employers planned to exercise wage moderation or freeze wages for the 2025\/2026 financial year, up 10 percentage points from the previous year.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis indicates more caution in wage outlook among employers, particularly among small and medium-sized employers,\u201d the federation added.<\/span><\/p>\n Employers cited rising manpower costs as the top manpower challenge for the next 12 months, similar to last year.<\/span><\/p>\n