Workers must perform job-search activities for payouts in Singapore’s re-employment support scheme
Qualifying activities include going for training, career coaching and job matching
TO RECEIVE payouts under Singapore’s upcoming SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, retrenched workers must follow an “activities-based system” with qualifying job search activities, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon said on Friday (Mar 7). (*see amendment note 1)
Payouts are made over six months, starting from a maximum of S$1,500 in the first month and tapering down to S$1,250 in the second, S$1,000 in the third and S$750 a month for the last three.
For the first month, qualifying activities include updating an online resume, attending a career fair, using Workforce Singapore’s CareerFinder jobs and skills recommender, and going for a career coaching session.
For the next month, workers can qualify by attending an employment-related workshop, browsing two employment-related articles, submitting four job applications, and attending a training course.
For the fourth through sixth months, workers can qualify by submitting five job applications each month, or some other combination of activities. (*see amendment note 2)
The qualifying job activities were “carefully curated” based on research with jobseekers, said Dr Koh. “Jobseekers have shared with us that the framework is useful in helping them to regain employment.”
By taking these steps, jobseekers can also feel more assured that they are on the right track to re-entering employment, he added.
Not overly prescriptive
Aon head of talent analytics Cheng Wan Hua said the prescribed activities are “helpful and meaningful”, as many retrenched workers tend to either stay unemployed or send out many applications and “hope for the best”.
While it is hard to measure if a jobseeker has “truly derived value” from such activities, the scheme’s flexibility means that many should still find value in the process, she added.
Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) labour economist Dr Walter Theseira said activities such as sending out a resume or going for career counselling are reasonable and not overly onerous.
They provide scaffolding for those who do not know how to find a job, pointing them in the right direction, he added.
But National University of Singapore economist Dr Kelvin Seah cautioned that the scheme should not be too prescriptive, lest it be treated as a “checkbox-ticking exercise”.
“Imposing such requirements rigidly may not be constructive and could end up being more of a costly burden than a help,” he added.
There are similar schemes in Australia and New Zealand, giving confidence that it could work here, said SUSS Institute for Adult Learning deputy executive director Terence Ho. Singapore’s activity-based system would need “thoughtful implementation” and should be refined over time.
Support and guidance
SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support is for involuntarily unemployed workers with a previous average monthly salary of up to S$5,000. It will start in mid-April, with details on the application process to come. Initially, it will be for Singapore citizens aged 21 and above. From the first quarter of 2026, it will be extended to permanent residents.
Asked if self-employed persons would qualify, Dr Koh said they would not, as the scheme aims to cushion unemployment shocks resulting from economic transformation.
It thus applies to employees, who “have no control over the decision by employers to retrench them”, he said. This differs from self-employed persons, who may have projects that fall through. Applicants previously earning below the payout levels will get only payouts equal to their last drawn salary. Those who find a new job within the six-month period will not get payouts for the remaining months.
Around 60,000 residents – more than 60 per cent of Singapore’s involuntarily unemployed – are expected to be eligible each year, with the scheme expected to cost over S$200 million annually.
SUSS’ Dr Theseira said the scheme’s success should not be measured purely by whether a jobseeker finds a job. “It has to be about getting them a job that they believe is actually worthwhile and which produces some kind of meaningful career trajectory for them and their family.”
Separately, jobseekers can now use their “base tier” of S$1,000 in SkillsFuture credits for eligible career guidance services by Workforce Singapore and other endorsed providers.
The Jobseeker Support scheme will be “an added boost to Singapore’s ecosystem of support for unemployed individuals”, providing financial assistance complemented by training and employment facilitation, said Dr Koh.
There are other schemes providing more help for those undergoing “substantial reskilling or experiencing financial hardships”, he added.
Amendment note 1: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said retrenched workers have to score activity points to receive payouts under the Jobseeker Support scheme.
Amendment note 2: An earlier version of this story said retrenched workers must submit five job applications to receive the payout. MOM has clarified that there are other activities jobseekers can do to qualify.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
