PMET retrenchment can be particularly disorienting because professional identity, income and status are often closely connected. A clear response requires more than sending out more applications.

Professionals, managers, executives and technicians, commonly known as PMETs, recorded the highest retrenchment incidence among Singapore’s occupational groups in Q1 2026, at 2.6 per 1,000 resident employees. Degree holders also saw their incidence rise from 2.6 to 3.1 per 1,000 resident employees, the highest among qualification groups.

These figures understandably create anxiety, especially among experienced professionals who have spent years building a specialised career. Yet they need to be read with the wider labour market picture. Job vacancies still exceeded the number of unemployed persons in March 2026, and PMET vacancies increased in areas including financial services and manufacturing.

The issue is not simply that professional work has disappeared. It is that organisations are restructuring to capitalise on the prowess of AI and AI powered robots. Companies especially in the Infor-com, financial services, and professional services are proactively transforming as AI will enable entry of a new wave of individuals and small companies competing for the lucrative contracts that the more established incumbents used to enjoy.

As such, these mature companies need to “obsolete” themselves before their new competitors do to them. This also means job requirements are changing and matching is becoming more demanding.

Why PMET retrenchment can feel deeply personal

For many PMETs, work provides more than salary. It provides status, routine, professional community and evidence of progress. A retrenchment can therefore create several losses at the same time.

• Loss of identity: The person may have introduced himself or herself through a role, organisation or area of expertise for many years.

• Loss of certainty: A structured career path can suddenly become an open-ended search with no guaranteed timeline.

• Loss of social position: Former colleagues continue with meetings, projects and promotions while the retrenched person feels left behind.

• Loss of financial confidence: Higher salaries often come with higher commitments, including housing, family expenses and retirement planning.

• Loss of perceived control: PMETs are used to solving problems. Job loss can be especially frustrating because effort does not always produce an immediate result.

This emotional impact can produce two unhelpful extremes. Some people apply for dozens of roles every day without a strategy. Others avoid the search because each application feels like a test of personal worth. Both responses are understandable, but neither is sustainable.

What the data says, and what it does not say

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) 2026 First Quarter (Q1) report noted that retrenchment among PMETs remained higher than among clerical, sales and service workers, and production-related workers. It also found that degree holders had lower re-entry rates than some other educational groups, partly because specialised and senior roles may take longer to match.

At the same time, PMET re-entry within six months improved from 56.4% to 59.6%. This matters because headlines naturally focus on the increase in retrenchments, while recovery is less visible. A difficult market can be both selective and active. Some functions are shrinking, while others are expanding. Some employers are reducing headcount, while others cannot fill specialised vacancies.

The practical question is therefore not “Are PMET jobs safe?” No job category can offer absolute safety. A more useful question is “How clearly can I connect my experience to the problems employers are paying to solve now?”

Structure the “destructured” Life

The first few days after a retrenchment can be strange as there is a loss of demand to wake up by a certain time to go to the office or start log-in into systems. The lack of structure could potentially cause confusion, anxiety, and demotivation. If prolonged, it may lead to depression.

Importantly, create a useful structure to have a productive and meaningful day.

The following suggests one such structure:

• Start the day with exercise. Surprisingly very useful,

• Strategy before tactic. Most time spent in this aspect, but many mishandled by diving straight into resume writing and job application.

• Moral & Emotional Support. Without which the retrenched may feel depressive.

• Me Time.

Start the day with Exercise. Wake up at the same time one would for work, but start the day with exercises. A 30-minutes exercise helps the body produce the “happy” hormones like Dopamine that keep one motivated and focused, and Serotonin that helps regulate emotion and keep one calm and grounded.

Strategy before Tactic. Except for a few being chased after by executive hunters or employers, most of us need preparation to look for the next job.

Do note that job or career pivoting is like a full-time job, it needs effort, thoughtfulness, and focus. However, resume writing and job application are the tactical implementation. The key is a clear strategy.

One needs to know where he/she wants to go next. That requires understanding of:

• where the jobs are?,

• what jobs one likes and suitable?

• whether one has the needed skills for any of the jobs?

• how to acquire necessary skills?

• does one need to pivot to another industry?

• What would the remuneration be like?

• does one go for full time employment or become a part-timer, freelancer, or entrepreneur?

All these may require soul searching on “Who am I?”, “what stage of life am I at now?”, “What gives me meaning in life going forward?”, before determining “where am I going?”, and with direction and goals set then one ‘plan on “How do I get there?”

Instead of immediately diving into writing the CV and applying for jobs, it’s time for one to itemise one’s “transferrable skills” and “job specific skills”.

Transferrable skills comprises soft skills, such as leadership, communication, and some technical skills that are still usable. The latter are usually technical skills and some may have been obsoleted or outdated. Reskill will be needed to help one gain new technical skills in demand, and outdated skills will need an update and upskill. Our experiences are only valuable if we know what values are in there for us to carry forward.

It is also a good time for one to reconsider the next job based on one’s values, interest and passion, personalities, and strengths (“VIPS”). I strongly encourage engaging a career counsellor to work with. Many of us got into jobs without the VIPS consideration. Along the way, we sometimes felt dissatisfied and burnout.

As the cliche goes “a crisis is too precious to be wasted”.

One should capitalise on such opportunity to strategise career goals based on VIPS.

However, don’t spend more than 8 hours per day on this to avoid fast burnout. A lot of the soul searching and knowledge acquisition work needs time to crystalize.

Reality Check

One also needs to assess his/her financial situation to know how long one could last without a pay-job.

It would also be useful to know what would be the minimum pay one needs to maintain a decent living for the family. The former is to understand the urgency of getting the next job (and could be a bridging job), and the latter is to understand affordability to pivot to an unfamiliar but perhaps a job one is passionate to pursue (potentially leading to career pivoting), as an unfamiliar job may require one taking a pay cut.

Intelligence Gathering

One should also reach out to friends, ex-colleagues, acquaintances, LinkedIn, and join industrial conferences and networking sessions to gather information and understand where the jobs are.

If the abovementioned were done properly, one would have a clearer strategy of what new job to look for, where the opportunities are, what skills to acquire or upgrade, and what strengths one has to form a good “selling proposition”.

Tactical Importance

Next is the tactical implementations which include resume writing, job application, interview practice. Good to have a Coach (formal or informal) to work with.

It is worth sending out signals to friends and acquaintances as well as through professional platforms like LinkedIn that you are looking for a job, and let people know what kind of jobs you are seeking. Use multiple channels, and don’t be afraid to request connection with people and ask whether about opportunities or information.

Needless to say, application success rate is highly related to tactical execution. The more one is prepared the better.

Moral and Emotional Support

Unsurprisingly, many would feel angry, anxious, unsafe, rejected, or even betrayed when being retrenched. All of us need social communities to live meaningfully. It is a necessity to surround one with family members, loved ones, and or friends to provide the needed moral and emotional support.

This is one aspect one should invest time on and not avoid. Use this opportunity to catch up with family meters, loved ones, and friends that one didn’t have enough time to do due to previous work schedule.

Activities could range from having coffee and meals together, playing a game of pickleball, Karaoke, to just sitting down and sharing each other’s life.

Me Time

Personal time for resting, sleeping, or entertainment are all important. This aspect was always neglected during busy work period. Me time allows for self-care and let one feel a sense of agency (having control over oneself).

A final perspective

PMET retrenchment is not evidence that education and experience no longer matter. It is evidence that their value must be continuously translated into a changing market.

The work is demanding, particularly when confidence has been shaken. Progress begins when the search becomes a business process rather than a daily referendum on self-worth.

Frequently asked questions, and here’s Kit response!

Why do PMETs have a higher retrenchment incidence in Singapore?
Recent restructuring has been concentrated in professional and knowledge-intensive sectors. PMET roles may also be more exposed to organisational redesign, role consolidation and changing skills requirements. Higher incidence does not mean that overall demand for PMETs has disappeared.

Are degree holders more likely to be retrenched?
In Q1 2026, degree holders recorded the highest retrenchment incidence among qualification groups, at 3.1 per 1,000 resident employees. This is a quarterly measure and should be interpreted with vacancy, employment and re-entry data.

What skills should PMETs learn now?
Start with target roles and identify specific gaps. Common areas include data literacy, AI-assisted workflows, stakeholder communication, commercial judgement, change management and specialised technical knowledge.

Should an experienced PMET consider contract work?
Contract or project work can provide income, recent evidence and new relationships. Assess the duration, scope, benefits, learning value and likelihood of future opportunities before deciding.

How can counselling support a retrenched executive?
Counselling can address anxiety, identity loss, shame, family pressure and decision fatigue. Career counselling can also help clarify values, strengths and options.

A practical next step
Career uncertainty can affect sleep, concentration, confidence and relationships. Speaking with a counsellor can help you make sense of the emotional impact while developing practical next steps for work and life.

Learn more about Kit Koh or arrange a confidential consultation with Promises Healthcare.