Singapore has secured a spot as one of the world’s leading tech talent markets, tying for fourth place in a global talent acquisition ranking, according to a recent report by Colliers, a global professional services firm. Singapore shares this position with Mumbai and Chennai, standing out as the only non-Indian city among the top five.
“Singapore is the only non-Indian market in the top five, driven by strong one-year hiring and a high volume of open job posts, signalling a concentrated effort to hire for the 10 key tech occupations,” the report noted. This highlights Singapore’s commitment to attracting tech talent, particularly in rapidly expanding fields such as artificial intelligence (AI).
While Singapore ranks eighth in the one-year hiring index—showing slightly lower short-term hiring momentum than Indian cities—it continues to demonstrate strong hiring activity and numerous job openings across critical tech roles. The city stands alongside major tech hubs like Beijing, Bengaluru, and Tokyo, with other Asia-Pacific centers such as Seoul and Sydney also witnessing a surge in demand for AI and cybersecurity professionals.
Mike Davis, Colliers’ managing director for occupier services in Asia Pacific, said, “Apac is drawing significant global attention for its unmatched tech talent density and strong venture capital momentum, particularly in India and China.” The report evaluated over 200 markets based on talent acquisition, venture capital, labor strength, and sector composition.
The data underscores a growing concentration of global tech talent, with the United States, China, and India dominating the landscape. US cities like the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and New York City claimed three of the top five positions, reinforcing the country’s innovation leadership. India and China each have five cities within the global top 50, reflecting their increasing role in driving digital economy growth.
Notably, “36 per cent of the world’s tech talent now resides in just 10 global tech cities,” Colliers said, highlighting rising polarisation in tech talent—especially in AI—toward leading hubs.
The report also emphasizes a sharp increase in AI-related job postings worldwide, rising 68% since ChatGPT’s late 2022 debut, while traditional IT roles declined by 27%. Cities with strong AI ecosystems like Bengaluru, New York, and Sao Paulo are becoming critical talent hotspots.
Colliers’ president for the Americas, Jodie Poirier, said, “As generative AI reshapes talent strategies, we’re seeing a significant shift in how companies prioritise location decisions.” She noted that while US hubs remain essential, cities such as Mexico City and Sao Paulo are rapidly gaining prominence.
The report points to intense competition for data scientists—key to AI development—with demand expected to grow 36% through 2032. Bengaluru leads globally with the largest pool of data scientists, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area and New York in the Americas, and London and Paris in EMEA.
Demand for information security analysts is also surging, with a 33% increase reflecting rising cybersecurity needs. The cybersecurity workforce gap widened by 19.1% from 2023 to 2024, according to data cited by Colliers.
Overall, the findings highlight how global tech talent is becoming increasingly concentrated in select hubs, driven largely by the surge in AI and cybersecurity roles shaping the future of work.
