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"In a dynamic economy, there will be continual creation and destruction of jobs. Our approach is to safeguard workers by helping them to move on to new jobs over time rather than to save jobs. Saving jobs that are no longer productive may hinder the growth of new and better jobs for Singaporeans in the longer term," the ministry said.
In a dynamic and ever-evolving economy, job creation and displacement are inevitable. Recognising this, Singapore’s approach to safeguarding workers focuses not on preserving jobs that may no longer be viable, but on helping individuals transition into new and better opportunities over time, says the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). This forward-looking strategy is designed to build long-term resilience and adaptability within the workforce.
To support this vision, MOM has adopted a three-pronged approach to better protect and empower Singaporean workers. These strategies were outlined in the ministry's written response to Parliamentary queries on 23 September 2025, where Members of Parliament raised key concerns, including:
- What strategies are being put in place to safeguard job stability for Singaporeans in light of rising trade tensions and structural shifts in the labour market?
- What factors explain persistent anxiety among Singaporeans about job security despite a robust labour market?
- How does the Government plan to strengthen support for mid-career workers and those vulnerable to restructuring?
Creating good jobs by facilitating the flow of investments into Singapore
MOM stated that it supports businesses in upgrading and transforming their workforce to adapt to structural changes in the economy. As part of this effort, it highlighted that over S$600mn was allocated in this year’s Budget for initiatives such as the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package and the NTUC Company Training Committee Grant, aimed at enhancing support for workforce transformation.
Equipping workers with the right skillsets to help them remain employable
"We equip workers with the right skillsets to help them remain employable, spending over $10bn over the last five years on local workforce initiatives," MOM commented.
The ministry noted that agencies such as Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore offer a broad range of upskilling and reskilling programmes to support mid-career workers, including the Career Conversion Programmes, the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme, and the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, all aimed at helping workers adapt to evolving industry needs.
Strengthening the support for workers and businesses to navigate a more complex and diverse labour market
To this point, the ministry talked about the Career Health SG initiative, which it noted was launched to better optimise our workforce for future jobs. "We have also set up the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment to study how to extend the productive longevity of our ageing workforce."
In addition, MOM shared that an Alliance for Action on Advancing Career and Employment Services was recently convened to work with the private sector on solutions to redefine jobs, strengthen employability and improve job matching.
Further, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme launched earlier this year aims to provide financial support for the involuntarily displaced so that they can bounce back stronger from employment setbacks.
MOM concluded that the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce will monitor the impact of global trade developments on local job creation and stand ready to roll out additional measures to bolster if necessary.
"At the same time, we have embarked on the Economic Strategy Review to chart a forward-looking economic blueprint to secure good opportunities for our businesses and workers," it affirmed.
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