Singapore Business Morale Remains Positive

2026-02-02 05:28 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

Business confidence in Singapore’s manufacturing sector rose to 11 in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 8 in the previous quarter.

This marked the highest reading of the year, signaling growing optimism, with the electronics sector (+33) remaining the main driver, buoyed by sustained AI-related demand in the semiconductors segment.

Transport engineering (+10) also maintained a positive outlook, supported by strong demand for aerospace maintenance, while biomedical manufacturing (+8) turned modestly optimistic on expectations of higher pharmaceutical exports.

In contrast, chemicals (-17) recorded the weakest sentiment amid concerns over macroeconomic uncertainty, weak refining margins and oversupply.

Looking ahead, output expectations for Q1 2026 were marginally positive (+6) with most clusters anticipating higher production, while employment levels are expected to remain broadly stable, with the majority of firms planning no significant changes to workforce size.



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Singapore Business Morale Remains Positive
Business confidence in Singapore’s manufacturing sector rose to 11 in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 8 in the previous quarter. This marked the highest reading of the year, signaling growing optimism, with the electronics sector (+33) remaining the main driver, buoyed by sustained AI-related demand in the semiconductors segment. Transport engineering (+10) also maintained a positive outlook, supported by strong demand for aerospace maintenance, while biomedical manufacturing (+8) turned modestly optimistic on expectations of higher pharmaceutical exports. In contrast, chemicals (-17) recorded the weakest sentiment amid concerns over macroeconomic uncertainty, weak refining margins and oversupply. Looking ahead, output expectations for Q1 2026 were marginally positive (+6) with most clusters anticipating higher production, while employment levels are expected to remain broadly stable, with the majority of firms planning no significant changes to workforce size.
2026-02-02
Singapore Business Confidence Improves in Q3
Business confidence in Singapore’s manufacturing sector rose to 8 in the third quarter of 2025, reflecting a cautious but notable upturn after a reading of 5 in the previous quarter. The electronics sector (+30) was the main driver, buoyed by sustained AI-related demand in the semiconductors segment. The biomedical sector (+11) also turned positive, supported by higher expected orders for pharmaceuticals products. Similarly, transport engineering (+13) remained optimistic, led by strong demand in aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities. In contrast, precision engineering (-35) posted the weakest outlook as firms reported delayed customer orders amid global uncertainty, while chemicals (-4) stayed subdued due to weak demand and maintenance shutdowns. Meanwhile, output expectations for Q4 turned positive (+7), with most clusters anticipating higher production, though employment levels are expected to stay broadly stable.
2025-10-31
Singapore Manufacturing Sentiment Turns Positive
Business confidence in Singapore’s manufacturing sector came in at 5 in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting renewed optimism after a reading of -6 in the previous quarter. A notable improvement in sentiment was observed in the chemicals sector, which increased to -7 from -22 in the first quarter of 2025. The biomedical manufacturing sector also showed a less pessimistic outlook, improving to -4 from -8. Additionally, sentiment in precision engineering edged up to 4 from 2, while sentiment in the electronics industry turned positive, recovering to 17 from -9. In contrast, sentiment remained neutral in both the transport engineering and general manufacturing industries, following previous readings of 14 and 4, respectively.
2025-07-31