Nearly one in five resident workers in Singapore are “overqualified” for the jobs they hold — and that share has been rising.
In a set of studies released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), overqualification is described as a form of qualification-related underemployment: a worker has a higher educational qualification than what is required for the role. The MOM findings put the rate at 19.4% in 2025, up from 16.3% in 2015.
What stands out is not just the headline figure, but the reason many workers end up in these roles. The studies indicate that the vast majority of overqualified workers took these jobs voluntarily. In other words, this is not simply a story of people being shut out of better opportunities; it is also about people making trade-offs that fit their lives.
### Voluntary overqualification is the bigger story
The data suggests that voluntary overqualification accounts for most of the phenomenon. The share of involuntarily overqualified workers is much smaller — reported at 1.7% — and has stayed low and stable, remaining below 3% over time.
This distinction matters. It changes the tone of the conversation from a straightforward “mismatch crisis” to a more nuanced picture of how workers navigate job choices, priorities, and constraints.
### Younger workers are most represented
Across age groups, those below 30 form the largest share of overqualification. The studies show they make up 21.3% of the involuntarily overqualified group and 17.6% of those who are voluntarily overqualified.
That detail is a reminder that early-career pathways are not always linear. The first job after graduation may not fully match a person’s qualifications, and some workers may accept roles that don’t utilise their credentials while they figure out their next move.
### A labour market signal worth watching
Singapore’s overqualification rate is framed as being below the average of high-income nations, but the upward trend over the past decade is hard to ignore. With a growing proportion of resident workers holding roles that do not require their highest qualifications, the studies add an important layer to how underemployment is understood locally.
Ultimately, the MOM and NTUC findings highlight a reality that can get lost in the numbers: overqualification does not always mean workers are stuck. Often, it reflects a choice — and the challenge is to understand what those choices say about work, opportunity, and what people value in a job.
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