By Demand for AI-related skills in Singapore job advertisements more than tripled between January 2024 and August 2026, according to Jobstreet’s AI Gauge study reported by ET HRSEA. The share of job ads containing at least one AI-related term rose from 1.3% in January 2024 to 5.1% in August 2026.
The increase was most pronounced in information and communications technology roles, where AI-related terms appeared in 7.2% of job ads in the six months to August 2024, climbing to 21.3% in the six months ending August 2026. Machine learning-related terms appeared most frequently among AI-related skills, while agentic AI-related terms recorded the fastest year-on-year growth between August 2025 and August 2026. The study found AI-related job advertisements increased across almost all occupational classifications tracked by Jobstreet, though the pace varied significantly.
What the numbers actually show
The headline figure of a threefold increase needs careful reading. Even after the surge, only about one in twenty Singapore job ads mentions AI skills. The demand is real but remains concentrated in a relatively small proportion of overall hiring.
The ICT sector tells a different story. More than one in five ICT job ads now references AI capabilities, suggesting that within technology-focused roles, AI has moved from a differentiator to a near-default expectation. The gap between ICT and the broader labour market indicates that most of the growth is being driven by technology employers rather than a wholesale shift across all industries.
The fastest-growing category, agentic AI, points to a specific technical direction. Agentic AI refers to systems that can act autonomously rather than simply respond to prompts. Employers are beginning to ask for people who can build and manage systems that make decisions and take actions, not just people who can use existing AI tools.
From AI users to AI builders
The Jobstreet data aligns with a broader shift identified in Singapore’s talent market. According to Hanbridge Education, citing a ManpowerGroup Global Talent Shortage Survey featured by HRM Asia, AI Model and Application Development and AI Literacy rank among Singapore’s hardest-to-fill capabilities, at 26% and 25% respectively.
The distinction matters for HR teams. AI literacy means employees can write prompts, use generative AI tools and automate repetitive tasks. AI building means professionals who can construct, implement and lead AI-driven solutions. Hanbridge notes that over the past two years, employer demand has moved from the former toward the latter.
This does not mean entry-level demand has disappeared. Live job listings on Jobstreet show junior AI and machine learning engineer roles in Singapore offering monthly salaries from $3,000 to $4,500, with at least one listing explicitly welcoming candidates with no experience. The market appears to have two simultaneous tracks: a smaller number of advanced builder roles and a steady flow of junior positions intended to grow internal capability.
What HR and payroll teams should watch
For HR and talent acquisition teams, the changing mix of AI terms in job ads creates a workforce planning challenge that extends beyond hiring specialist AI professionals. The Jobstreet findings suggest that job descriptions and skills frameworks need regular review to stay aligned with evolving business and technology requirements.
One practical issue is distinguishing between familiarity with AI concepts and the practical capabilities required for specific roles. A finance manager who has used ChatGPT is not the same as one who can configure an AI-powered forecasting model. Job ads that simply add “AI skills” without specifying what that means are likely to attract the wrong applicants and complicate screening.
Payroll teams face a related question around salary benchmarking. The live listings show junior AI roles in Singapore paying between $3,000 and $6,500 per month depending on location and employer. But these figures may underrepresent senior or specialised roles, where competition is fiercer. HR teams should treat published salary ranges for AI roles as a floor rather than a ceiling when planning budgets.
Practical steps for employers
Employers in Singapore have several options for responding to the AI skills demand without necessarily competing head-to-head for scarce senior talent. The first is to define AI requirements precisely in job ads, specifying whether the role needs AI literacy, AI application development or AI model building. The second is to consider internal upskilling pathways, using programmes such as SkillsFuture or TechSkills Accelerator, which are established Singapore government initiatives for technology skills development.
A third option is to review whether AI skills are genuinely required for a given role or whether they have been added as a proxy for general technical aptitude. The Jobstreet data shows AI terms appearing across almost all occupational classifications, which raises the question of whether some of that growth reflects genuine need or simply fashionable job ad language.
The source does not specify future actions or next steps from Jobstreet or Singapore authorities. Employers should monitor the AI Gauge data as it is updated and compare their own job ad language against the terms that are growing fastest in their sector.
Sources: ET HRSEA
Photo: Streamax AI technology applications in the railway industry (32642645637) by International Railway Summit, CC BY-SA 2.0
