By Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is considering broader support for mid-career and senior workers, including expanded protections for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), according to The Straits Times via Yahoo News Singapore. Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau said on 13 November 2026 that workers are taking longer to find new jobs and the rate at which they are doing so is dropping, with the affected age bands widening.
Lau said restructuring “doesn’t have an age cut off – it is a role cut off or an occupation cut off”, noting that more workers in their 30s are being affected. She confirmed MOM is reviewing how to better support PMETs in middle-income bands, who face higher retrenchment rates and often cannot switch into similar occupations or stay in the same industry.
Why the current age cut-offs are under review
The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, launched in 2024, provides subsidies and credits for reskilling only to Singaporeans aged 40 and above. Lau said many schemes supporting workers remain relevant but tend to have age-based eligibility cut-offs. That structure is now being questioned because retrenchment increasingly follows role or occupation lines rather than age lines.
For HR teams, this signals a shift in how workforce planning conversations with government agencies may evolve. Employers that rely on age-based assumptions about who needs reskilling support should track MOM’s review closely. If eligibility expands, more employees in their 30s could access subsidised training, changing the cost calculus for internal upskilling programmes.
The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, the main programme for the involuntarily unemployed, currently provides up to $6,000 over six months to workers who earned up to $5,000 a month. Labour MPs have argued the income ceiling should rise to the median PMET wage of about $7,600. Lau did not specify which scheme MOM is looking at expanding.
What expanded PMET protections could mean for employers
Singapore’s Employment Act, the main labour law, contains many clauses targeted at blue-collar workers. An ongoing tripartite review is examining whether some protections should extend to PMETs. Lau confirmed the Government is considering more legal protections for this group through that review.
The practical implications for HR and payroll teams could be significant. If PMETs gain statutory protections currently reserved for rank-and-file employees, employers may need to review employment contracts, termination procedures and retrenchment practices for managerial and professional staff. Payroll teams would need to understand any new entitlements that affect final salary calculations, notice periods or retrenchment benefits.
Lau said the amount of support PMETs receive would have to improve. She framed it as a practical matter: “If we want them to focus on the job search process and retraining, you have to take away a bit more of the burden at home. Otherwise, you can’t blame them for saying ‘I’ll just take the first job that comes along’, or ‘I will do private-hire driving because at least that pays the bills’.”
About 60% of PMETs who switch industries see a slightly lower wage, according to the report. That wage reset creates pressure on workers to accept any role quickly, which Lau said the Government wants to counter by directing workers toward growth sectors.
Senior employment changes already have a timeline
The tripartite workgroup on senior employment announced recommendations on 26 October 2026. The retirement age will rise to 65 and the re-employment age to 70 on 1 January 2029, one year ahead of the original target. MOM is also working with companies to create flexible roles for seniors, including arrangements where workers are employed only on certain days of the week.
Lau noted that many workers in their 50s are caregivers with elderly parents at home or grandparents helping with childcare. That flexibility requirement has direct implications for workforce planning, shift scheduling and payroll configuration for part-time or intermittent work patterns.
| Policy area | Current position | What MOM is considering |
|---|---|---|
| SkillsFuture Level-Up | Age 40 and above only | Reviewing age-based cut-offs |
| Jobseeker Support income ceiling | $5,000 monthly | MPs propose $7,600 median PMET wage |
| Employment Act PMET coverage | Limited, blue-collar focus | Tripartite review of extended protections |
| Retirement and re-employment ages | 63 and 68 | 65 and 70 from 1 January 2029 |
What HR and payroll teams should watch next
The tripartite review of the Employment Act is ongoing, and MOM is considering adjustments to keep programmes relevant. No other next steps have been specified. Lau also signalled more support for senior workers through the Workfare scheme, which tops up salaries to help lower-income workers save for retirement.
She referenced her experience at the Health Ministry, noting that Singaporeans are living longer and many may not be healthy in later years. “Whatever they have accumulated in their CPF up until age 55 to 60 may not last them during retirement,” she said. That framing suggests retirement adequacy is a driving concern behind the senior employment changes.
For employers, the immediate action is to monitor the Employment Act review and any announcements on SkillsFuture or Jobseeker Support eligibility. Payroll teams should prepare for potential changes to statutory entitlements for PMETs and for more flexible senior work arrangements that affect pay calculations. HR teams should review retrenchment policies and outplacement support for middle-income PMETs, particularly those in roles vulnerable to restructuring.
Sources: Yahoo News Singapore
Photo: USS Pinckney departs Singapore after ship repair and maintenance exercise (95168 by U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Camillia Nguyen, Public domain
