A recent report by ADP Research has revealed that only 22% of workers globally feel their jobs are safe from elimination, with the Asia Pacific region showing the lowest confidence levels. In Singapore, a mere 15% of employees believe their positions are secure, according to the People at Work 2026 report.
The findings underscore a significant challenge for employers, as job security is increasingly linked to employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Globally, workers who feel secure in their roles are six times more likely to be fully engaged and twice as likely to remain with their current employer.
Jessica Zhang, Senior Vice President of APAC at ADP, noted, “AI is reshaping work at the task level, creating new job categories whilst transforming existing ones. The findings highlight a clear gap between actual employment conditions and how secure workers feel about their future.”
In Singapore, younger workers aged 18 to 26 are the most confident, with 22% feeling secure in their jobs. Confidence also varies by job scope, with knowledge workers (21%) feeling more secure than those in skilled (12%) and repetitive tasks (10%). Medium-sized organisations (250–999 employees) report the highest confidence levels among their workers.
Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP, emphasised the business implications, stating, “Job security has become a business issue, not just a workforce sentiment measure. Employers that pair honest communication with meaningful skills investment will be in a much stronger position to build a resilient workforce.”
The report suggests that employers need to address these concerns through clearer communication, skills investment, and workforce planning to enhance job security and employee confidence.
