28-8-2024 (SINGAPORE) Singapore is set to launch a groundbreaking job seeker support scheme in April 2025, aimed at providing financial assistance to approximately 60,000 unemployed residents each year. The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, unveiled by Manpower Minister Tan See Leng during a visit to the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East, marks a significant shift in the government’s approach to supporting those facing involuntary unemployment.
Under the new initiative, eligible individuals can receive up to S$6,000 over a six-month period, with payments tapering down from an initial S$1,500 in the first month. To qualify, applicants must have earned S$5,000 or less per month on average during their previous employment within the last 12 months and must not reside in a property with an annual value exceeding S$25,000.
The scheme is designed to target lower- and middle-income workers, with the S$5,000 wage threshold set slightly above the median gross monthly income of S$4,550. It will initially be open to Singaporeans aged 21 and above, with plans to extend eligibility to permanent residents of the same age group from the first quarter of 2026.
Importantly, the monthly payouts are capped at an individual’s previous monthly salary and cease once the person secures new employment. This measure is intended to ensure that the scheme does not inadvertently discourage job seekers from re-entering the workforce.
Minister Tan emphasised that the scheme represents a “paradigm shift” in government policy, providing interim support to those facing financial pressures due to involuntary unemployment, beyond just the most vulnerable in society. He stated, “We do not want employers to offset the costs of an insurance scheme by cutting wages or by stopping the practice of retrenchment benefits.”
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) have stressed that the scheme complements existing training and social support initiatives. Recipients will be required to demonstrate active job-seeking efforts, such as submitting applications, attending career coaching sessions, or participating in eligible training courses.
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Ng Chee Meng lauded the scheme as a positive first step in addressing the challenges of a rapidly evolving labour market, particularly in light of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Ng noted that the labour movement had advocated for such support for a decade, calling the government’s decision to implement the scheme “momentous”
