Tan See Leng
Singapore
“We are aware of the Singapore Workplace Report 2026, produced by the Singapore Institute of Directors and Gallup, and we are studying its findings.”
“The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation (Taskforce) actively reaches out to all retrenched local employees. In 2025, 77% of Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications (MRNs) were submitted at least seven days ahead of the employee's last working day and 73% of MRNs were submitted at least two weeks ahead.”
“From 2022 to 2025, vacancy rates for technical maintenance roles in the real estate services sector, which includes facilities management, have been lower than the overall job vacancy rate, except in 2025 (see Table 1).”
“The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) works with sector agencies to determine the courses which are required by the respective industries. The SWDA currently funds more than 100 courses, spanning a wide range of mental health-related fields.”
“In the first quarter of 2026, the profile of retrenched residents aged 50 to 59 was broadly similar to the profile of all retrenched residents, predominantly comprising professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and were mainly from wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, financial and insurance services and profession…”
“In 2025, around 4,200 resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 45 to 59 were retrenched, higher than 3,200 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2023. Their six-month re-entry rate remained stable at 48.5% in 2025, compared with 48.9% in 2024 and 50.1% in 2023.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,238 lines we hold for Tan See Leng, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 45.
“Based on Mandatory Retrenchment Notification (MRN) data submitted by companies with 10 or more employees, around nine in 10 eligible employees received retrenchment benefits from 2020 to 2025. Among them, around eight in 10 received retrenchment benefits of at least two weeks' salary per year of service, in line with the norms stated in the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment.”
“Employers can be debarred from hiring migrant domestic workers (MDWs) if they commit serious offences against an MDW. These include physical or sexual abuse, non-payment of salary, inadequate provision of food or rest and instructing their MDW to perform unsafe tasks. The debarment period varies with the severity of offences committed, and the Ministry of Manpower will assess the suitability of the household to hire MDWs before lifting the debarment. Egregious offenders, such as those who inflict violent harm on their MDWs, will be permanently debarred.”
“Over 2016 to 2025, the Employment Pass (EP) qualifying salary has increased from $3,300 to $5,600, while the number of EPs has increased from 192,300 to 202,100. Table 1 provides the number of EPs issued that did not meet the EP qualifying salary over this period. The Ministry of Manpower works with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and economic agencies to provide targeted flexibilities in support of our national priorities. These flexibilities support Singapore's economic growth and transformation and promote job creation for locals, such as in courting new investments and supporting research and innovation.”
“From 2021 to 2025, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) received fewer than 10 complaints each year on disguised retrenchment. This represented less than 1% of total complaints received each year.”
“Between January and September 2025, the monthly median change in net-take home earnings1 for platform workers who opted2 to increase their CPF contributions beyond the mandatory MediSave contributions ranged from a decrease of 12.7% to an increase of 8.2%. No consistent trend was observed, as monthly earnings fluctuate depending on factors, such as hours worked and the seasonality of demand and supply. We have not received any feedback from platform workers and Platform Work Associations that suggests systemic reduction in fares or incentive premiums due to CPF contributions. In September 2025, the Platform Workers Trilateral Group – comprising the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Transport, the National Trades Union Congress and major platform operators – released a set of industry-wide principles that establish baseline expectations for platform operators when setting and reviewing their fares and incentives. These principles include fair and transparent earnings for platform workers, as well as visibility on structural changes to incentive schemes. Platform workers may seek assistance from their registered Platform Work Associations if they have concerns with the way fares and incentives are set.”
“In December 2025, outward-oriented sectors1 employed 1.25 million residents (or 50.5% of all employed residents), compared to domestic-oriented sectors2 which employed 1.21 million residents (or 48.7%).3 These distributions closely mirror the distribution observed 10 years ago, when outward-oriented sectors employed 1.14 million residents (or 50.4%) and domestic-oriented sectors employed 1.10 million residents (or 48.6%). Business transformation and technology adoption will continue to change the nature of jobs. The distribution of resident employment between outward-oriented and domestic-oriented sectors may evolve. The Government will continue to work with tripartite partners to equip Singaporeans with the skills needed for future jobs.”
“The Government is studying the impact of the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) on Singapore's labour market, including how AI may substitute or complement different groups of workers. While we recognise that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and multinational corporations (MNCs) operate in different contexts, with varying structural complexities, risk appetites, organisational capabilities and resources, the impact of AI on workers and firms depends more on the nature of business activities and job roles than on firm size. Accordingly, the Government's workforce transformation programmes support all firms to redesign jobs and reskill workers in tandem with AI adoption. Our programme partners tailor the level of support provided to meet firms' needs, offering closer guidance for those undertaking larger and more complex workforce transformation projects. The Government remains committed to helping all workers prepare for AI and stay relevant, regardless of the type of jobs or firms that they are in today. For workers displaced by AI, we will also work with companies to support their transition into new roles through workforce transformation and reskilling programmes.”
“Nonetheless, a MOM-Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Institute of Mental Health study in 2024 showed that most MDWs were able to seek help when faced with emotional issues.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes a multi-pronged approach towards mental health support for Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs), starting with upstream touchpoints to pre-emptively identify and address mental health and well-being concerns. All first-time MDWs attend the settling-in programme on arrival, which provides guidance on stress management and the avenues to seek help. MDWs are also required to undergo the six-monthly medical examination, which serves as another channel for doctors to detect any signs of distress. Employment agencies conduct welfare checks within three months of MDW's placement while the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), conducts two interviews on behalf of MOM with all first-time MDWs in the first year of their employment. Besides these interviews, CDE also conducts recreational activities for MDWs on their rest days and runs a 24/7 helpline for MDWs in distress. Beyond MOM's MDW helpline, MDWs that require mental health support can contact NGOs, such as CDE and Brahm Centre, which also operate helplines and provide counselling services. Serious cases will be escalated for medical attention and treatment. Additionally, MOM partners the Alliance of Domestic Employees to scale and train "Care Sisters", who serve as a peer support network, in psychological first aid, suicide prevention and mental well-being support to fellow domestic workers. The Care Sisters network comprises MDWs of various nationalities, ensuring that peer support is delivered in their native language and in a manner suited to their cultural backgrounds. MOM does not collect data on MDWs' utilisation of mental health support services in Singapore.”
“Senior workers bring a wealth of skills and experience accumulated over their careers. We want to enable senior workers to contribute productively to the economy and support employers in reaping the benefits of an experienced workforce. The Government encourages employers to hire senior workers through the Senior Employment Credit, or SEC. Under the SEC, employers, including the small and medium enterprises, can receive wage offsets of up to 7% for Singaporean employees aged 60 and above, earning less than $4,000 a month. The Government has recently extended the SEC to end-2026 while we conduct a more fundamental review of our senior employment strategy. In this regard, the Government and tripartite partners have convened a Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment to review and refresh our policies to support senior employment. In particular, the Workgroup is studying how to help employers build capabilities to manage a multi-generational workforce and empower senior workers to remain productive and employable. More updates will be provided when the Workgroup releases its recommendations later this year.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) monitors locations where migrant domestic workers (MDWs) congregate during their rest days and works with agencies and partners in the community to manage any disamenities that may arise in these areas. For example, we engage town councils and residents' committees in these locations to co-create solutions that address noise and littering disamenities, while balancing the MDWs' social and recreational needs. Since 2025, we have been piloting the use of community spaces in Clementi and Paya Lebar to provide MDWs with accessible and conducive resting spaces on Sundays. We invite non-governmental organisation partners to conduct recreational activities and training programmes at these spaces so that MDWs can spend their rest days meaningfully. We also share information with MDWs on this via channels, such as MOM's MDW WhatsApp channel. MOM will continue to work with agencies and our partners to expand the number of alternative gathering spaces for MDWs to rest and unwind. Even as we encourage MDWs to be considerate when using public spaces and endeavour to provide alternative gathering spaces for them, we do need to recognise that public spaces are shared by everyone, including MDWs on their rest days.”
“And moving forward, we will also be publishing which are the sectors that are still hiring. And we will try to show what the type of jobs graduates are looking for, versus the sectors that are hiring. Very often, it is also about matching the expectations versus what is available. If I may also refer the Member to the Labour Market Advance Release for the fourth quarter in 2025 that we have just released, I believe it was last week. For the entire year, for 2025, the total employment growth, which is about 57,300, was stronger than a year ago, in 2024, which was about 44,500. The unemployment rates in December of 2025 were broadly unchanged from a quarter before. And looking ahead, for this particular year, for the first quarter of 2026, business expectations suggest that the labour market will continue to expand, albeit amidst increased hiring caution. Another slight note of optimism, the share of firms expecting to hire in the next three months only edged down slightly – from 44% in September 2025, to 43% in December 2025. But if you compare this at the same time, a larger share of firms expects to raise wages over the same period, rising from 19% to about 26%. So, actually, the market, notwithstanding the cautious optimism, does somewhat point to slightly improving business outcomes and continued competition for labour in certain areas. I hope that reassures the Member.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. For his first point on publishing more data related to fresh graduates from overseas universities, MOM tracks as well as monitors the employment outcomes of graduates across various types of institutions and these include overseas universities, as well as our local private educational institutions. This is reflected through our comprehensive Labour Force Survey. The key findings from the survey are published in MOM's annual report on Labour Force in Singapore. We will continue to review the data collected and published, because we also want to be able to go sectorally and adopt a more differentiated and develop more precise and laser-focused insights into some of these problem areas. For the second point, with regard to how well some of the overseas graduates are supported, we constantly work with the industry partners, with the advisory chambers and panels, as well as the trade associations and chambers, to calibrate many of our training, reskilling, upskilling policies. What we have seen from last year, which I want to share with Members, from the employment rate in 2025, the local autonomous universities graduates, as well as the overseas universities graduates, employment rate was at above 90%. The differential between overseas universities graduates versus the local autonomous universities graduates is just slightly over 1%. If you look at the proportion of those in permanent employment – so we are talking again, juxtaposing the local university graduates versus the overseas university graduates – it is also above 90%. Again, that delta is 1%. So, we do not think that at this particular point in time, that there are issues of concern between the two sets of graduates coming in.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the fresh graduate employment figures published by the Ministry in September 2025 covered graduates from the local autonomous universities and did not include Singaporeans who graduated from overseas universities. Based on the internationally recognised measure of time-related underemployment, which refers to part-time workers who prefer full-time employment, the underemployment rate among residents aged 25 to 29 who graduated from overseas universities was 0.8% in 2025. This is about 0.1%, slightly above the 0.7% recorded for graduates from local autonomous universities. Overall, the employment outcomes for graduates aged 25 to 29, remain generally strong for both local autonomous universities and overseas universities graduates, with around nine in 10 employed. Even so, graduates from local autonomous universities continue to have slightly more favourable outcomes on balance, and this is reflected in their lower unemployment as well as higher median wages. We will continue to support all of our fresh graduates' entry into the workforce. Students and fresh graduates from our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) can access Education and Career Guidance services within the IHLs. All students and fresh graduates, including those from overseas universities, may also make use of the career matching and coaching services offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) Employment and Employability Institute (e2i).”
“The increase in the absolute number of resident PMETs aged 50 or older who are long-term unemployed reflects the ageing of our labour force and the growing number of mature workers. In proportional terms, the long-term unemployment rate of resident PMETs aged 50 and above has declined slightly from 1.2% in 2024 to 1.1% in 2025. It remains below the pre-COVID-19 average of 1.3% from 2015 to 2019. The Government remains committed to supporting every worker in their job search. We have invested strongly in reskilling and career conversion programmes, several of which offer a higher level of support for mature workers. This includes programmes such as Workforce Singapore's (WSG's) Mid-Career Pathways Programme and Career Conversion Programmes, as well as SkillsFuture Singapore's SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme and SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme. Jobseekers can also tap on employment facilitation services offered by WSG and the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute. The Ministry of Manpower and our tripartite partners have convened the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment to refresh our senior employment policies as our population continues to age. Its recommendations are slated for release in 2H 2026.”
“Consistent with the practice of international organisations, such as the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation, the Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) indicator is used to track early-life labour market vulnerabilities of young persons during their transition from formal education to employment. The indicator is, therefore, usually compiled for youths aged between 15 and 24, but not extended to older age groups whose labour market participation is shaped by different considerations, such as caregiving responsibilities and health conditions. While the traditional NEET definition does not fully reflect how some youths today explore options outside formal education or employment, the number of NEETs continued to decline. In Singapore, the number of residents1 aged 15 to 24 who were categorised as NEETs declined over the past three years, from 17,100 in 2023 to 16,900 in 2024 and 15,900 in 20252. Over the same period, the average duration of NEET status was 6 months, suggesting that NEET spells among youths were generally transitory due to short breaks between jobs or periods immediately after leaving school rather than prolonged unemployment. Data on the percentage of NEET residents aged 40 and over is not tracked. For such residents, sustained detachment from the labour market is monitored using indicators, such as long-term unemployment, labour force participation and economic inactivity, which are more appropriate for capturing their labour market circumstances.”
“Between 2021 and 2025, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) received an average of 296 workplace discrimination complaints each year. The breakdown by type of discrimination complaints is in Table 1 below.”
“Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore do not track whether female participants in their Career Conversion Programmes and SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes are mothers.”
“Caregivers who are ready to return to work can tap on a suite of employment facilitation and reskilling programmes offered by Workforce Singapore and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute. These include Career Conversion Programmes and the Mid-Career Pathways Programme, which help individuals improve their employability and be placed in a new role. Caregivers can also access SkillsFuture support for training, such as course fee subsidies and the SkillsFuture Credit. The Majulah Package's one-off Retirement Savings Bonus paid in December 2024, as well as recent enhancements in January 2025 to the Silver Support Scheme and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme will boost the retirement adequacy of seniors, some of whom may have caregiving duties. Working caregivers may also be eligible for the Workfare Income Supplement as well as Earn and Save Bonus, which supplement eligible workers' income and retirement savings.”
“Graduates who require more help to find a job can approach their polytechnics' career services centre, Workforce Singapore or NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute's career centres for additional assistance.”
“The change in polytechnic graduate employment rates since 2022 reflects a moderation from a post-pandemic surge in hiring, when employment rates were elevated compared to historical norms. It also reflects a more cautious hiring sentiment amid broader economic uncertainty and geopolitical developments. Looking at the longer-term trends, polytechnic graduate outcomes have remained stable in the last 10 years, with around nine in 10 graduates securing employment within six months after graduation. Entry-level job opportunities for fresh graduates also remain available, with about 39,000 entry-level Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians vacancies in September 2025, up from 31,000 in June 2025. We regularly review the polytechnic curriculum to equip graduates with industry-ready skills. Our polytechnics collaborate closely with industry partners to provide industry exposure opportunities, such as internships for our polytechnic students. Our foreign workforce policy aims to provide business with access to skilled foreign manpower whilst encouraging them to build a strong local core. The S Pass Dependency Ratio Ceilings are already kept tight at 10% in Services, and 15% in the other sectors. In addition, the Ministry of Manpower has been progressively increasing the S Pass Qualifying Salary to raise the quality of S Pass holders, and ensure that they do not undercut the wages of local associate professionals and technicians. We will continue to work together with our polytechnics and industry partners to support our fresh graduates in finding good jobs.”
“The Government supports employers in adopting technology and redesigning jobs through enterprise and workforce transformation initiatives, so that work can be done more efficiently. This enables workers to deliver higher value in less time, improving both productivity and work-life harmony.”
“Employed residents in Singapore worked an average of 41.4 hours per week in 2025. This has declined steadily over time, from 44.2 hours per week a decade ago. Even after adjusting for working hours, Singapore is still placed higher in The Economist's ranking of richest economies compared to other Asian economies. In 2025, Health Professionals, Production and Specialised Services Managers, and Administrative and Commercial Managers were among the professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) occupations with the longest working hours. Among non-PMET occupations, Protective Services Workers, Drivers and Mobile Machinery Operators, and Clerical Supervisors recorded longer working hours. The relatively longer working hours do not translate to lower pay. On a per hour basis, wages in Singapore remain the top 10 among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. To remain a thriving business hub, Singapore must successfully compete with other regional economies and serve global customers across different time zones. Instead of regulating working hours which would limit options available to employees who have different needs and requirements, we have promoted flexible work arrangements to enable workers to achieve better work-life harmony and balance their work and personal commitments. This is achieved through the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests which sets out the process for workers to formally request for flexible work arrangements and for employers to consider these requests on reasonable business grounds. Beyond flexibility, changing how we work can also help moderate working hours.”
“The intent of the Dormitory Transition Scheme (DTS) grant is to help dormitories defray the costs of retrofitting to meet DTS interim standards by the end of 2030. The DTS grant will apply to only three specific categories of retrofitting works, such as building an ensuite toilet, installing room partitions and building isolation facilities. Each category will be funded at a piece rate, which has been set in consultation with the industry. The grant amount for each dormitory will be based on the extent of retrofitting works required to meet the DTS interim standards. The DTS grant will not cover existing facilities that already meet the DTS interim standards or additional facilities that go beyond these requirements. To ensure that the DTS grant is utilised for its intended purpose, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will evaluate the retrofitting works to check if they qualify for funding, and disburse the grant only after the dormitory has completed all the retrofitting works and obtained the necessary certifications from their Qualified Persons. MOM will also conduct an inspection to ensure that the dormitory meets the DTS interim standards before the grant is disbursed.”
“The Progressive Wage Credit Scheme was introduced in 2022 as a transitionary support scheme to help businesses defray the costs of adjusting to lower-wage worker policy moves, such as the expansion of the Progressive Wage Model to cover more sectors and occupations. The intent is for employers to use this period of transition support to invest in upskilling their employees, transforming their businesses and improving productivity to ensure that wage increases are sustainable in the long-term. We are reviewing the scheme and will provide updates in due time.”
“Most lower-wage workers who are not covered by the Progressive Wage Model nevertheless benefit from the Local Qualifying Salary and the Progressive Wage Mark accreditation scheme, which have contributed to increases in their real wages. This is in line with our policy objective to reduce income inequality between lower-wage workers and the median. From 2021 to 2025, real gross monthly income at the 20th percentile rose cumulatively by 10.1%, outpacing the 7.4% increase at the median. We recognise that businesses are concerned about increases to costs. In a typical business organisation, lower-wage workers account for a relatively modest share of businesses' overall manpower costs, which, in turn, is a sub-set of overall business costs, including rent and utilities. Lower-wage workers constitute about one-fifth of our resident workforce, and their wages are also relatively lower to begin with. To help employers invest in upskilling, transformation and productivity increases for their lower-wage workers so that wage increases are sustainable, the Government introduced the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) in 2022 to co-fund wage increases given by employers to lower-wage workers. Employers can also tap on the Workfare Skills Support (Basic) scheme, which provides absentee payroll for employers who send eligible lower-wage workers for training.”
“The Government and tripartite partners have various schemes in place to provide financial support to workers who have lost their jobs, including as a result of their company winding up. These schemes are means-tested and subject to eligibility criteria to ensure accountability and to direct limited public resources to those who need them most. Local workers who are involuntarily unemployed and actively looking for a job may obtain temporary financial assistance under the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme. Lower-income households who require financial assistance to meet basic needs may also approach their Social Service Office. Foreign workers may approach the Migrant Workers' Centre set up by the tripartite partners for financial assistance.”
“The Government recognises that retrenchment is a challenging period for workers as it affects their livelihoods and takes an emotional toll. We have therefore put in place measures to support employees and ensure responsible business practices. We agree that employees' claims on salaries are important in the event of company liquidation. In the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act, employees' claims are already ranked first and above all other unsecured debts, and are behind only the costs and expenses of winding up administration which are necessary for the winding up to proceed smoothly. If employers cannot pay salary arrears due to business failure, the Short-Term Relief Fund is available to provide financial assistance to eligible local lower-income workers. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will also investigate and take action against employers who breach employment legislation when winding down, including those who wilfully do not pay salaries despite having the means to do so. We will continue to review our measures to ensure that workers are supported during retrenchment, including in cases of company liquidation. MOM is currently reviewing NTUC's proposal on mandating pre-retrenchment notifications with the tripartite partners and will update on this in due course.”
“Top-ups to the Retirement Account (RA) which earn the RA's higher long-term interest rate should be committed for the long-term retirement needs of members. CPF LIFE members who top up their RA will thus have their full top-ups streamed out as higher monthly payouts via CPF LIFE throughout their retirement.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not track the median net monthly income of own account workers based on their business models. This is because the labour market income statistics collected by MOM follows standard international classifications of industry that are not based on business models. For income data on own account workers, the Member may refer to statistical tabulations published on MOM's website.”
“The Employment Act stipulates that employees are entitled to a statutory minimum of seven days of annual leave in their first year of service. With each year of service, an employee's statutory annual leave entitlement increases by one day, up to an entitlement of 14 days. As mentioned in an earlier reply to a Parliamentary Question on 6 November 2025, the majority of resident employees already receive more annual leave days than statutorily required. In 2024, over 90% of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 were entitled to more than seven days of annual leave and 68.2% were entitled to more than 14 days of annual leave. Annual leave entitlements can be supplemented by other entitlements and practices that support employees in balancing their work and personal needs, such as parental and childcare leave. We also take reference from the practices of other economies within our region. This allows us to support workers while enabling businesses to continue generating good job prospects for Singaporeans. The tripartite partners will review our employment provisions holistically based on what works best for Singapore's context.”
“The Ministry of Manpower does not collect data on jobseekers receiving updates from potential employers after their interviews. We recognise that jobseekers can benefit from timely and constructive feedback from employers. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices has published a Fair Recruitment and Selection Handbook which encourages employers to inform candidates during the interview on how the interview results will be communicated and to subsequently notify candidates of their interview results within a reasonable timeframe. As conveyed in a reply to a Parliamentary Question in September 2025, we also encourage employers and jobseekers to exchange constructive feedback where practical. The tripartite partners will continue to monitor how to support workers in the job search process.”
“I thank the Member for his suggestion. The construct of the product will take into account different weightages on global equities versus bonds. It will also be a glide path, depending on when the member would enter into the particular product that we are looking at. These are some of the considerations. Like I said, we are not ready to announce it yet because we are finalising the product. As to which markets and so on, depending on how we work with — when the hon Member talks about the local market being beleaguered, actually, over the last couple of months, I think the SGX returns has been quite impressive. So, I may not necessarily agree with him on that point.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I have shared earlier on that we are close to finalising the details. We will announce it at the appropriate time. We have taken guidance from the CPF Advisory Panel and we are in the process of studying how we can incorporate some of the features, because, obviously, a certain time has passed and the markets have also evolved. As I have said earlier on, I beg for the indulgence and the patience of every Member in the House. When we are ready, we will announce it.”
“I do beg for the indulgence of the Member that once it is ready, we will be ready to announce the range of products.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. The straight answer is, of course, we will do that. When we have finalised the details of the provision of further support, in terms of planning their retirement through products, striking this optimal balance between risk and return, we will contemporaneously roll out publicity initiatives to educate the broad masses of our CPF members, hoping that they will benefit from it. I wanted to also address the hon Member's point about timing the market and the time in the market. I fully agree with him. But I think we also have to be very mindful of the fact that whatever plan, whatever investment products that we eventually do end up working with the multiple big providers in the market to provide, we have to carefully study the impact of these proposed adjustments to our CPF system. For us, the penultimate objective has always been to safeguard retirement adequacy. So, the different features, the parameters that strike this optimal balance between risk and return are quite essential for us. If you look at the last few years, we have experienced significant market turbulence, significant investment headwinds. When we launch a particular product, any investor who had to liquidate his or her investment for retirement needs during a market downturn would have experienced, depending on how long he has been invested for, a significant drop in his asset value and that can impact adversely his retirement adequacy. Of course, if you look back with the benefit of hindsight, it is always good to be able to time the market properly. But I think, in reality, looking forward is a more difficult endeavour. But like I said, we are in the final stages.”
“Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is in the final stages of studying how we can provide further support to Central Provident Fund (CPF) members to plan for their retirement through products that would strike the right balance between risk and return. We will provide updates when ready. In the meantime, members who wish to invest their CPF savings for potentially higher returns can already do so through a number of low-cost funds under the CPF Investment Scheme.”
“The Silver Support Scheme is targeted at seniors who had lower incomes during their working years and now have little or no family support and resources in their retirement. This is why the scheme is targeted at those who live in 5-room or smaller Housing and Development Board flats. Nevertheless, seniors facing unique situations can write in to the Central Provident Fund Board to review their eligibility for Silver Support. We will review their circumstances holistically on a case-by-case basis.”
“The Cultural Orientation Programme (COP) was launched as a voluntary programme in December 2023 to familiarise new S Pass holders with working and living in Singapore. As of December 2025, 6,574 S Pass holders have completed the COP. About 95% of the participants indicated that the content was useful and that it had increased their understanding of Singapore's norms and regulations. The Ministry of Manpower had opted for an online programme to maximise its reach. In addition to the COP, S Pass holders can participate in various community activities organised by various community groups, including the People's Association.”
“Through the ongoing Economic Strategy Review, the Government is actively reviewing measures to create good jobs that match our resident workforce's potential, qualifications and skills and to empower Singaporeans to maximise their career potential.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been working with tripartite partners and the International Labour Organization to study underemployment trends and will be releasing our detailed findings in due course. Based on our findings to date, non-time-based underemployment is comparable to that observed in other developed economies. The incidence of involuntary non-time-based underemployment has remained low and stable over time. Nevertheless, we would support those who are unable to secure jobs that commensurate with their skills and qualifications. To help individuals to find jobs that better match their qualifications and skills, we have progressively enhanced career matching services and career guidance tools. Last year, MOM also launched the Singapore Opportunity Index to help jobseekers better identify employers that provide opportunities aligned with their aspirations. Fresh graduates and junior professionals can receive additional support from Workforce Singapore's Polaris by Volunteer Career Advisors for industry-specific career advice during and after their studies. We have also rolled out programmes, like the Graduate Industry Traineeships, to address experience gaps that may lead to graduates being unable to find jobs that are a good match with their qualifications and skills. We support employers to redesign jobs, through the Support for Job Redesign under Productivity Solutions Grant and Career Conversion Programmes (Job Redesign Reskilling) so that they can more fully utilise their employees' skills. We will continue to explore ways to maximise our people's potential and minimise underemployment.”
“Silver Support is paid ahead of each quarter to give eligible seniors greater flexibility to manage their larger expenses over each three-month period. Switching to monthly payments means that recipients will only be able to receive payments for the second and third months later. Differentiation of Silver Support payments by the Housing and Development Board flat type allows seniors living in smaller flats, who are more likely to have fewer financial resources, to be given higher payments. This ensures that the Silver Support Scheme benefits seniors who need it most.”
“The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) provides CPF members with monthly payouts that cover basic expenses in retirement. The Government regularly reviews the BRS for each cohort of members turning age 55, taking reference from the lower-middle retiree household expenditure and factoring in inflation and rising standards of living. In 2022, the Ministry of Manpower announced the BRS for members turning age 55 from 2023 to 2027. The announcement was made ahead of time to give members advance notice. We are reviewing the BRS for members turning age 55 after 2027 and will likewise announce any changes with sufficient advance notice to enable members to plan ahead.”
“The Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS) is designed to help senior Singapore citizens with lower retirement savings to save more for retirement. The age floor ensures that the scheme is targeted at seniors who require greater support nearer to the start of their retirement payouts unlike younger Singaporeans who have a relatively longer runway to build their retirement savings. Eligible lower-wage workers, including those below the age of 55, can also benefit from the Workfare Income Supplement scheme which supplements their incomes and CPF savings, while those in sectors covered by the Progressive Wage Model can benefit from meaningful and sustainable wage increases in tandem with skills upgrading and career progression pathways.”
“Most sectors continued to hire and experienced wage growth in 2025. Even though overall job vacancies eased during the year, the ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons remained above 1.0 since June 2021, representing more job vacancies than unemployed persons. Financial and Insurance Services, Professional Services, and Information and Communications were among the sectors that saw active hiring and wage growth for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs). These are roles that are suitable for new graduates. There were 14,200 PMET vacancies in these sectors, based on data as at September 2025, up from 12,600 one year ago. In 2025, these sectors recorded real median income increases that were higher than the overall median growth of 4.3%. All Institutes of Higher Learning have Education and Career Guidance services for students and new graduates to provide guidance on various career pathways and opportunities, including in growth sectors and to facilitate their transition into the workforce. New graduates can also access career matching services and programmes offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and its partners. These include career coaching services by WSG and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute, and career advisory from working professionals in WSG's Volunteer Career Advisors initiative. New graduates can also explore opportunities on WSG's MyCareersFuture portal, using its CareersFinders feature to discover career pathways.”
“Lower-income households who require financial assistance to meet basic needs may also approach their Social Service Office. Beyond measures to support displaced workers, the Government encourages and supports Singaporeans to take care of their career health and stay relevant in their jobs. Under the Career Health SG programme, workers can tap on various tools to do so, such as the CareersFinder feature on WSG's MyCareersFuture job portal and the Polaris career guidance programme. Such programmes help workers to be better equipped to navigate challenges and stay resilient in their careers.”
“When businesses wind up, including preparing for and during liquidation proceedings, firms should act responsibly and ensure that workers' salaries are paid on time to the best of their abilities. The Government fully recognises the importance of employees' claims on salaries in the event of their employers winding up. In the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act, employees' claims are already ranked first and above all other unsecured debts, and are behind only the costs and expenses of administration, which are necessary for the winding up to proceed smoothly. We have measures in place to support employees and ensure responsible business practices. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) investigates and takes action against employers who breach employment legislation when winding up, including those who wilfully do not pay salaries despite having the means to do so. If employers truly cannot pay their salary arrears due to business failure, the Short-Term Relief Fund (STRF) is available to provide financial assistance to eligible local lower-income workers. Between 2023 to 2025, about $600,000 was disbursed from the STRF to 260 workers who did not receive their salaries due to corporate liquidation. MOM does not track the total number of workers with unpaid wages due to corporate liquidations. We also provide workers who have lost their jobs with support to search for and take on new jobs with good longer-term prospects. Local workers may tap on career matching services and training programmes offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG), SkillsFuture Singapore and Employment and Employability Institute, and may also receive temporary financial support under the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme.”
“I thank the Member for his suggestion. In all of our future reviews, we take the feedback, not just from this House, but from our regular Meet-the-People Sessions, at dialogues, at town hall sessions, and at chit-chat sessions with all of our residents, and at different opportunities. We take that feedback and we certainly will see how to manage that feedback. We may not be able to, at a particular point in time, address each and every single one, but rest assured, we certainly will look at it over the medium to long term. Like I said earlier on, we have to balance it between fiscal prudence and fiscal sustainability. If we do something, I think, we need to ensure that we can sustain it over the long haul. Of course, I hope for the day, through the collective efforts of all of us here, where we have done so well that we are able to upstream and ensure that every Singaporean has enough in their golden years; they can meet all of their Full Retirement Sum needs; and the Silver Support Scheme can then wither down to just a very small proportion. I think, then, we would have arrived. I hope that gives the Member that reassurance of what we are thinking about over the long haul.”
“The Silver Support Scheme is a targeted support scheme which provides support to seniors aged 65 and above, who had lower incomes during their working years and now have little or no family support and resources in their retirement. Eligibility is determined by the senior's lifetime wages, housing type and the level of household support. Eligible seniors living in smaller flats with fewer financial resources will receive higher payments. The Silver Support Scheme is part of a wider set of social support measures. These include the Workfare Income Supplement and the annual Earn and Save Bonus under the Majulah Package, which help boost the retirement savings of lower- to middle-income working seniors and can increase their Central Provident Fund (CPF) LIFE payouts. The one-off Retirement Savings Bonus and MediSave Bonus under the Majulah Package also provided an additional boost to eligible seniors' retirement and healthcare savings in their CPF accounts. In addition, the Assurance Package helps defray living expenses for Singaporean households. Seniors who need further assistance to meet their basic living needs can approach their nearest Social Service Office to apply for ComCare.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. But I think that perhaps he did not understand the construct of the LQS and the fact that it is not related to the Silver Support Scheme payout. There will be further refinements to the LQS in the upcoming Budget, the Committee of Supply. I do not think I want to go too much into the details. Suffice to say, let me reiterate that they are not in any way interlinked. I mean, that is not how we constructed the LQS to be. Because the LQS, as I have shared earlier on, is aimed at working and solving our companies' needs for foreign workers. We do not want the companies to hire our locals on a token salary, so that they can get the foreign worker quota. So, please remember that they are not related. To his point about how much of the LQS has pushed the elderly seniors living alone down to below or set at that monthly PCHI threshold of $1,500, I do not have those statistics because it is not how we work that scheme out to be. I hope that addresses his point.”