Retrenchments and restructures have hit Singapore hard in 2025, as companies look to charter the uncertain waters of United States President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. As a result, Singapore’s domestic exports to the US plummeted in second quarter of 2025, showing a decrease of S$3 billion compared to the same period in 2024.
Escalating costs and weakening sales were also cited as factors for companies that resorted to layoffs.
Here are some of layoffs that affected Singapore in 2025.
Ninja Van (August)
Despite already conducting layoffs in Apr and Jul 2024, logistics provider Ninja Van cut 12% of its Singapore workforce on Aug 12.
According to a company representative, these retrenchments were made in an effort to strengthen Ninja Van’s business model and ensure sustainable growth as a result of both ongoing global logistics challenges and increased competition in the region.
The layoffs were “not made lightly,” and the company had informed the Supply Chain Employees’ Union in advance. In line with Singapore’s tripartite advisory, employees with two or more years of service are eligible for retrenchment benefits. In addition, severance packages will be extended to staff with less than two years of service as well.
Additional medical insurance and mental health support will also be extended to affected staff until Dec 31.
BlueSG (August)
In Aug 2025, car-sharing service BlueSG announced a “pause” in operations, in anticipation of a major upgrade and reactivation that was supposed to take place in 2026. Accordingly, BlueSG announced “a portion” of staff would be let go, providing no further specifics.
Nonetheless, the company sounded a hopeful note, saying that new roles would open up when the upgraded platform launches, and that members of the original team would be welcomed back.
Jetstar Asia (July)
Budget airline Jetstar Asia announced on Jul 11 that it would terminate operations on Jul 31, 2025. The Singapore-based carrier cited rising supplier costs, airport fees, and intense regional competition as factors that made it difficult to sustain its low-cost model.
More than 500 employees were said to have been affected by the closure, with all offered retrenchment benefits and reemployment positions either within parent company Qantas Group or with airline and aviation partners in Singapore.
Microsoft (May, July)
Microsoft conducted two separate rounds of layoffs in May and Jul 2025, said to affect a combined 15,000 employees globally. No Singapore-specific numbers were available, but the cuts were broad, encompassing employees across all levels, geographies, and teams, including subsidiaries LinkedIn and Stockholm-based King division.
The layoffs were blamed on escalating costs of expanding Microsoft’s AI infrastructure, which resulted in the tech giant projecting a year-over-year decline in its cloud margin for the June quarter.
SPH Media (July)
A total of 11 production workers from SPH Media were laid off in July, as a result of the media giant decommissioning two printing presses that reached the end of their 30-year operational lifespan. The affected staff were involved in newspaper distribution and printing press operations.
SPH Media said that efforts were made to redeploy these individuals, but were unable to find suitable roles. Unlike previous layoffs, these cuts were made as a result of operational reviews, instead of being tied to restructuring efforts.
Standard Chartered (June)
About 80 Singapore employees in Standard Chartered were laid off in Jun 2025, with the positions offshored to India. The affected roles were known to be from the banks’s technology and operations departments, and said to be “likely only the start.”
The move was part of a corporate cost-saving programme, aimed at saving US$1.5 billion (S$2 billion) over the years 2024 and 2026.
SingPost (February)
Logistics giant SingPost announced in Feb that a “restructuring” exercise would take place in the coming months, where approximately 45 employees would be made redundant. SingPost told Vulcan Post that the move would “right-size” the company, and “devolve corporate functions to its business units.”
A spokesperson from the company added that the initiative would “eliminate duplicate functions” and improve the agility and efficiency of the company, with the aim of strengthening the company’s operating capability.
Meta (February)
Meta employees in Singapore were notified of their redundancy on Feb 10, in preparation of what CEO Mark Zuckerberg described as an “intense year” for the company. Previously, a 5% workforce reduction of “lowest performing” staff was announced on Jan 14, with employees in Europe, Asia, and Africa receiving notices in Feb.
At least two affected Singapore employees had just returned from paternal and medical leave, which added a layer of complication as Singapore’s legal framework provides “specific protections” when it comes to retrenchment practices involving employees on medical or parental leave.
TikTok (February)
At least a dozen employees in TikTok Singapore were affected by layoffs in Feb, which were said to be part of a broader global effort to streamline backend teams and better align operations with TikTok’s long term growth plans. The trust and safety departments were said to be affected, though it was unclear if other parts of the company were impacted.
Earlier in the year, hundreds of TikTok employees were laid off, including a significant number of Malaysia staff. The move was reported to be a result of the shift towards leveraging AI for content moderation.
PropertyGuru (February)
A total of 174 employees were laid off from real estate tech firm PropertyGuru in Feb. Singapore-specific numbers were unavailable, but the company said that the changes will affect employees across all markets and functions. The move comes as the company was acquired by EQT Capital for US$1.1 billion (US$1.5 billion).
Severance packages include one month’s salary for every year of service capped at 12 months, an additional month of goodwill payment, and performance bonuses. Employees would also be allowed to retain their work laptops, while foreign employees would receive up to three months of extended unpaid leave and repatriation assistance.
Singapore not immune to global retrenchments and layoffs
In Singapore, historical numbers show a decade average of seven retrenchments per 1,000 employees in 2024. Even as layoffs become more commonplace, Singapore workers who find themselves made redundant can find assistance from various sources.
Organisations like the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices and the National Trade Union Congress have schemes and guidelines that ensure worker rights are protected. In addition, Workforce Singapore offers additional support, including counselling, career fairs, and development programs for those looking to upskill and find new employment.
Feature image credit: Ninja Van Singapore, THICHA SATAPITANON/ Shutterstock.com, Tang Yan Song / Shutterstock.com, Shutterstock
