WP Calls on Government to Engage Widely, Consider All Solutions, Including Previously Untapped Ones

The Prime Minister has shared that Singapore is starting our next chapter in more troubled times. Geopolitical conflicts and trade barriers have marked 2025 so far, and it is likely to remain so for the future.

Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Manpower warned that “global economic uncertainty is expected to persist in the coming months and may weigh on hiring and wage growth, especially in outward-oriented sectors”. It added that declines in wage expectations were observed in outward-oriented sectors such as financial insurance services, professional services, as well as transportation and storage.

Against this cautious backdrop, the Workers’ Party urges the government to engage widely and explore all solutions tabled in good faith, including previously untapped ones. Singapore should leave no stone unturned in our collective efforts to build a truly resilient nation for the future and keep our Singapore flag flying high.

Urgently Tackle Present Concerns

We note the setting up of the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce led by DPM Gan Kim Yong, and the announcement of the Economic Strategy Review, with five committees working on a report outlining their recommendations by mid-2026. We also note the setting up of a jobs-matching initiative to be administered by the community development councils.

The Workers’ Party agrees that Singapore’s economy needs to keep up with the times. Even as we look ahead, we urge the government to also tackle present concerns surrounding businesses and employees. This includes the rising rental costs that could hamper business continuity and viability, skills-related underemployment, and slow rate of real income growth of 0.7% per annum over the past five years.

We reiterate our manifesto proposals that JTC Corporation should expand its market share for industrial space and continue offering low-rent options at different price-value points for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) alongside its private sector-run facilities.

Singapore should also urgently track and regularly publish underemployment measures to enable Singaporeans to assess if the government’s efforts to get these workers into suitable full-time employment have been successful. We also call again for a statutory minimum wage.

We agree with the approach of improving jobs matching efforts for Singaporeans, and ask that the relevant organisations accelerate the setting up of this programme with the economic uncertainty ahead. In our experience, many residents referred to e2i often receive career counselling, but not the direct job-matching support they truly need.

The new approach reflects what many job seekers are looking for: not just advice, but real opportunities and connections to employers who are hiring.

Help Our People with AI Adoption and Mitigate Disruptions

The Prime Minister also shared the plans for Singapore to embrace artificial intelligence to unlock productivity growth, but also to ensure jobs are being created. While AI and new technologies will help with business productivity and innovation, they will also alter the employment landscape permanently, leaving many Singaporeans behind.

To ensure no one gets left behind, the Workers’s Party reiterates our call in our manifesto for an alignment of our school curriculum with evolving needs through more collaboration between the Ministries of Education and Manpower, working together to ensure continuous alignment between our education system and the evolving needs of our economy. Singapore should implement skill-demand feedback loops from industry on three levels: (a) curriculum design, (b) funding for structural skill-gap areas and (c) career guidance for students. This targeted approach ensures that our education system can provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve high-value career pathways both domestically and globally.

The Workers’ Party agrees on the importance of preparing students for life—not just exams—in an age shaped by AI. We call for an increase in the number of allied educators which can lead to a meaningful reduction in class sizes, so that every student receives the attention they need to develop essential soft skills such as empathy, adaptability and the ability to build strong relationships.

These human qualities cannot be replaced by AI and are critical for thriving in the economy of the future. To enable this, we urge a shift away from high-stakes examinations, towards continual assessment and a through-train approach. Ultimately, our goal is to create an education system that develops well-rounded individuals with the confidence and capabilities to succeed in an ever-evolving world.

The Workers’ Party also calls upon the government to improve social safety nets in light of the ongoing disruptions from the adoption of AI. This should include the introduction of redundancy insurance and mandating retrenchment benefits for individuals made redundant in companies with at least 25 employees.

New Government-Funded Traineeship Programme

We note that the Prime Minister announced a new government-funded traineeship programme. The Workers’ Party recognises how important it is to help young graduates and mid-career workers find their footing and start or restart their careers with confidence.

While we await the details to come, we urge the government to ensure that the programme is designed with safeguards to ensure their effectiveness and fairness. State-sponsored internships and apprenticeships must not be used by companies only as a source of cheaper, subsidised labour. There should be clear performance metrics and a transparent commitment from participating companies to consider trainees for full-time employment once the training period ends.

It is also essential that all trainees receive basic workplace protections, including paid sick leave and safe working conditions. These are not just labour rights, but basic assurances that convey respect and dignity for every worker, regardless of their employment status.

The Workers’ Party will advocate for fair, transparent, and sustainable employment pathways, especially for our younger Singaporeans and those navigating mid-career transitions.