“Workers who have become ‘involuntarily’ jobless could get an ‘immediate boost’ of up to S$1,500 in the first month of their job hunt under a new government support scheme starting next April,” announced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Under the new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, eligible individuals may receive a total of up to S$6,000 over a span of six months, with the support amount decreasing gradually each month. The criteria for eligibility include having a previous income of S$5,000 a month or less on average and actively seeking new job opportunities, such as submitting applications or engaging in training courses during the support period.
The scheme, targeting lower and middle-income individuals, aims to assist displaced jobseekers in transitioning into suitable jobs based on their skills and experience. Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng highlighted the significance of providing temporary financial aid to support displaced workers, with an estimated cost exceeding S$200 million annually.
Dr. Tan emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between facilitating workers’ return to the workforce and ensuring they secure jobs that align with their abilities. The scheme’s primary goal is to help jobseekers find suitable employment opportunities rather than hastily accepting any available job.
“The pace of change will only accelerate. We are likely to see a higher incidence of job displacements, because these are due to factors beyond any of our control, because the world has seen rapid disruptions,” said Dr. Tan, articulating the need for such support in an era of rapid economic transformation.
Addressing the changing landscape of work environments, MOM acknowledged the increasing pace of economic transformations leading to job displacements despite efforts to upskill employees. The initiative drew inspiration from feedback collected during the Forward Singapore exercise and recommendations from various industry stakeholders, with a focus on professional, managerial, and executive (PME) workers.
In addition to the temporary financial support, jobseekers can access career coaching services provided by Workforce Singapore and NTUC’s e2i to enhance their employability. It is important to note that the support scheme is not intended as social assistance and is structured to complement existing employment facilitation and training support measures available.
To qualify for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, individuals must meet specific criteria related to residency status, previous income levels, property value, unemployment reasons, and participation history. Successful applicants can receive tiered payouts of up to S$6,000 over six months, with the highest amount of S$1,500 disbursed in the first month and reducing gradually in subsequent months.
Those who secure employment during the payout period will cease to receive further financial aid. Additionally, jobseekers engaging in reskilling or upskilling programs can access additional payouts through related initiatives such as the SkillsFuture Level-up Programme and company attachments in Workforce Singapore’s Mid-Career Pathways Programme.
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said on Tuesday that the jobseeker support scheme is a “good first step” in supporting workers.
“NTUC has been advocating for unemployment support for workers for many years. Truth be told, there were disagreements in NTUC’s early negotiations with MOM,” Mr Ng said.
“We had deep discussions with MOM and we didn’t see eye-to-eye. It took us 10 years.
“I appreciate very much the government’s willingness to reset their approach and design this new policy.”
NTUC assistant secretary-general Patrick Tay, who is also a Member of Parliament for Pioneer SMC, said he has made “repeated calls in and out of parliament for the past decade for some form of unemployment support to help workers”.
“I thank Minister Tan and MOM for listening to some of NTUC’s suggestions and proposals for the scheme,” he added.
“The scheme marks a first step in the right direction to support involuntarily unemployed persons with financial support, as they would take time to bounce back from employment setbacks.”
