Singapore employers fired fewer workers last quarter as demand for goods and services improved after the economy emerged from its worst recession in more than four decades.

Total employment rose 15,400 in the three months through September, compared with a loss of 7,700 jobs the previous quarter, the Ministry of Manpower said today. Employers cut 2,200 jobs last quarter, pushing the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 3.4% from 3.3%.