MOM reveals 2027 list of 147 talent-starved jobs in S'pore, where workers are in high demand

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. List published by the Ministry of Manpower.

Singapore’s economy may be growing at a record pace this year, but the boom—driven by demand for AI-related hardware products—has had an uneven impact on the job market.

The total number of unemployed citizens increased to 64,700 last quarter, the highest figure since 2021. It was driven by a relatively high number of redundancies (4,800)—and the last time more Singaporeans were laid off in a single quarter was in Q4 of 2020, when it hit 5,640.

At the same time, however, there are still many jobs which are starved of workforce to such a degree that the Ministry of Manpower is giving bonus points to foreign candidates applying for an Employment Pass in these professions. This makes it a useful indicator for locals as well.

If you’re looking for a career idea, it might be a good place to start, as they tend to stay on the list for a while. It may also provide you with some ideas for a career pivot within your area of expertise, which you may not have considered earlier.

The list covers seven industries, 30 occupational categories and 147 specific job titles, which MOM identified as suffering a shortage of workers:

Agritech

1. Specialty ingredient application scientist

2. Novel food biotechnologist

Energy & Chemicals

3. Chemical engineering technician (petroleum/ natural gas)

4. Chemical processing and chemical products plant controller

5. Materials engineer

Green Economy

6. Carbon project/ program manager

7. Carbon standards and methodology analyst

8. Carbon trader

Healthcare

9. Clinical psychologist

10. Diagnostic radiographer

11. Genetic counsellor

12. Pharmacist (patient care)

13. Registered nurse

14. Podiatrist

15. Medical social worker

Infocomm Technology

16. Artificial intelligence (AI)/ machine learning (ML) engineer

17. Artificial intelligence (AI) applied researcher

18. Cloud specialist

19. Data scientist

20. Digital forensics specialist

21. Forward deployed engineer

22. Penetration testing specialist

23. Quantum scientist/engineer

24. Software developer

Maritime

25. Marine superintendent

26. Marine technical superintendent

Semiconductor

27. Automation engineer

28. Materials engineer

29. Semi-conductor engineer

30. Process engineer

As you can see, the list consists largely of jobs in three main categories: healthcare, IT and engineering, with a few specialised ones on the fringes (Agritech, Green Economy, Maritime).

Despite the rise of AI, the demand for skilled IT personnel is still high—it just requires the right skills.

This typically means either someone specialising in AI itself or someone with experience in cybersecurity, which is very high on the agenda of all companies and the government, given the new threats emerging almost every day thanks to artificial intelligence.

Semiconductor manufacturing, which is at the centre of Singapore’s current economic boom, is also looking for candidates, although it carries some risk should the AI bubble burst, collapsing the demand for hardware. Until then, however, it might be one of the lucrative jobs out there.

You can also notice a pattern of professions reflecting Singapore’s key strengths, like Chemicals or Maritime services, and also vulnerabilities, like its dependence on imports for food (a portion of which would best be grown locally) or the ageing of the local society, which keeps increasing the demand for healthcare workers.

Doctors have rarely, if ever, had any issues with employment, but if you’re studying or working in engineering or computer science, this list could be a good indication of what to specialise in, and where to look for work in the coming year or two, if not longer.

Featured Image Credit: Google Street View, enhanced using AI

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