More flexible jobs, higher tax relief among measures to help older workers stay employed

The raising of the retirement and re-employment ages will be brought forward to 2029 as assurance that seniors can keep working if they wish to, said tripartite partners.

Participants attend NTUC's e2i Career Pulse Workshop at Orchard Hotel on Oct 26, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

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SINGAPORE: More support for flexible jobs and higher tax relief for working seniors were among several tripartite measures announced on Monday (Oct 26) to encourage older workers to keep working if they want to, and employers to hire or retain them.

The statutory retirement and re-employment ages will rise from 64 and 69 currently to 65 and 70 from 2029 – a year ahead of the previous timeline of 2030 .

It will mean that employers cannot dismiss employees on the grounds of age before they turn 65, and must offer re-employment to eligible employees until they are 70.

“This sends a clear signal that seniors who wish to continue working longer would have the opportunity to do so,” Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said at the launch of the tripartite report.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) said in a press release that the change gives senior workers greater assurance that they can continue working if they wish to. Other measures include extending wage support for employers who re-employ seniors, raising support for lower-wage senior workers and increasing financial assistance for those who are not re-employed. These recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment have been fully accepted by the government, with details on implementation to follow in the first half of 2027. Mr Dinesh said: “Senior employment should not simply mean doing the same job for more years. It should mean having meaningful options across a longer career span, and leveraging senior workers for business success.” NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan said that senior workers should have “genuine options” in how they continue contributing, from full-time jobs to flexible arrangements. Senior workers also need assurance that they will not have to navigate career transitions alone, as well as fair access to training and opportunities, he said. SNEF vice-president Tan Hwee Bin said investing in older employees is becoming a “business necessity” amid a tight labour market and slowing workforce growth. “We need a mindset shift in how we build our workforce, recognising that full-time and part-time employees can play complementary roles,” she said. “By redesigning jobs and offering more flexible arrangements, employers can retain valuable experience and build more resilient multi-generational teams.”

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) said in a press release that the change gives senior workers greater assurance that they can continue working if they wish to.

Other measures include extending wage support for employers who re-employ seniors, raising support for lower-wage senior workers and increasing financial assistance for those who are not re-employed.

These recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment have been fully accepted by the government, with details on implementation to follow in the first half of 2027.

Mr Dinesh said: “Senior employment should not simply mean doing the same job for more years. It should mean having meaningful options across a longer career span, and leveraging senior workers for business success.”

NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan said that senior workers should have “genuine options” in how they continue contributing, from full-time jobs to flexible arrangements.

Senior workers also need assurance that they will not have to navigate career transitions alone, as well as fair access to training and opportunities, he said.

SNEF vice-president Tan Hwee Bin said investing in older employees is becoming a “business necessity” amid a tight labour market and slowing workforce growth.

“We need a mindset shift in how we build our workforce, recognising that full-time and part-time employees can play complementary roles,” she said.

“By redesigning jobs and offering more flexible arrangements, employers can retain valuable experience and build more resilient multi-generational teams.”

(From left) NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan, Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu and SNEF vice-president Tan Hwee Bin, at the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment report launch at Orchard Hotel on Oct 26, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

Singapore’s labour force is ageing in tandem with the general population. Workers aged 50 and above made up about 40 per cent of the labour force in 2025, up from around 34 per cent in 2015.

“Population ageing is expected to further increase the share of seniors in the labour force. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above,” the workgroup said in its report.

It noted that labour force participation drops sharply among residents in their late 50s and older.

According to government surveys, caregiving responsibilities are the top reason workers in their 50s are not working or looking for work, while flexible work arrangements are the top initiative that could keep them in the workforce.

FLEXI-LOAD PROGRAMME

A new Flexi-Load Programme will help employers create and scale up jobs with flexible workloads, such as part-time or fractional work, for older workers.

It will replace the existing Part-time Re-employment Grant, which ends after 2027. The grant gives employers S$2,500 for each resident senior worker offered part-time re-employment, other flexible work arrangements and structured career planning, capped at S$125,000 for each company.

The grant covers workers aged 60 and above, and funds employers based on changes to their human resource policies. Since 2020, it has supported about 68,500 seniors and about 7,800 employers.

The new Flexi-Load Programme will cover workers aged 50 and above, and require employers to “demonstrate the outcome of creating additional flexi-load roles”, said the workgroup.

This will be accompanied by a new programme office for career longevity, led by the Skills and Workforce Development Agency. It aims to help workers plan their career and skills transitions more proactively, and support employers to adopt structured career planning and implement flexible workload arrangements.

It will draw on flexible workload models developed through the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers, including job redesign and matching workers with project-based opportunities.

These efforts form part of a wider ecosystem that includes stronger human capital capabilities , SkillsFuture support and career conversion programmes, Tripartite Jobs Council support for workers impacted by artificial intelligence-related changes, and the Workplace Fairness Act against age discrimination, said the workgroup.

The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will also be reviewed for senior workers navigating job transitions.

RE-EMPLOYMENT AGE, ASSISTANCE AND TAX RELIEF

Singapore’s approach to retirement has achieved consistently high re-employment outcomes, the workgroup said, with more than nine in 10 eligible employees who wish to continue working offered re-employment.

Employers who cannot offer re-employment must give affected workers a one-off Employment Assistance Payment while they look for other work.

The government will raise the recommended amount for this payment to reflect wage growth in recent years. It is currently three-and-a-half months’ salary, with a minimum of S$6,250 and a maximum of S$14,750.

The government will also enhance the Earned Income Relief for workers employed past the retirement and re-employment ages. Workers aged 55 and above can already claim up to S$8,000 in relief depending on their age.

RE-EMPLOYMENT CREDIT AND WAGE SUPPORT

A new Re-employment Credit will be introduced from 2028 to defray employers’ business costs associated with retaining senior workers.

It will replace the Senior Employment Credit, which provides up to 7 per cent in wage offsets for employers who hire Singaporeans aged 60 and older and who earn less than S$4,000 a month.

The wage ceiling for the new credit scheme will be higher to account for wage growth.

The tripartite workgroup also recommended improving wage support for lower-wage senior workers in particular. This will be done by enhancing the Workfare Income Supplement, which is paid to lower-wage workers in cash and Central Provident Fund payments.

The Progressive Wage Credit Scheme will also be updated. It co-funds employers’ wage increases required under the Progressive Wage Model and local qualifying salary requirements, as well as voluntary pay rises for lower-wage workers.

BALANCE BETWEEN SENIORS AND FRESH GRADUATES

During a panel discussion, the workgroup co-chairs were asked how a balance will be struck between two segments of jobseekers – fresh graduates and seniors.

Mr Dinesh said these two groups should not be seen as competing for the same jobs, pointing out that the bulk of senior workers are lower-wage workers.

Junior hires have a runway to competence before they add value to an organisation, and getting senior workers to guide and mentor them could be a complementary effort in succession planning, he said.

MOM is looking at what can be done to strengthen such mentorships, he added.

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三方合作伙伴表示，将提前至 2029 年提高退休和再就业年龄，以确保老年人如果愿意可以继续工作。

2026年10月26日，参与者在乌节酒店参加NTUC的e2i职业脉搏研讨会。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：周一（10月26日）宣布的三方措施包括加大对灵活就业的支持力度，提高对老年劳动者的税收减免，以鼓励老年劳动者在愿意的情况下继续工作，并鼓励雇主雇用或留住老年劳动者。

法定退休年龄和再就业年龄将从目前的 64 岁和 69 岁提高到 2029 年的 65 岁和 70 岁——比之前的 2030 年时间表提前一年。

这意味着雇主不能以年龄为由解雇未满 65 岁的员工，并且必须向符合条件的员工提供再就业机会，直到他们年满 70 岁。

“这发出了一个明确的信号，即希望继续延长工作的老年人将有机会这样做，”人力部国务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什在三方报告发布会上表示。

CNA游戏猜词游戏：逐行破解单词；流行词游戏：用给定的字母组成单词；迷你数独：小巧的谜题，强大的脑力挑战；迷你填字游戏：小方格，大挑战；单词搜索：尽可能多地找出单词。人力部（MOM）、全国职工总会（NTUC）和新加坡全国雇主联合会（SNEF）在一份新闻稿中表示，这项改革让老年员工更有信心，如果他们愿意，可以继续工作。其他措施包括延长对重新雇用老年员工的雇主的工资补贴，提高对低收入老年员工的补贴，以及增加对未重新雇用老年员工的经济援助。三方老年就业工作组的这些建议已被政府完全接受，具体实施细节将于2027年上半年公布。迪内什先生表示：“老年就业不应仅仅意味着从事同一份工作更长时间。它应该意味着在更长的职业生涯中拥有有意义的选择，并利用老年员工为企业成功做出贡献。”全国职工总会副秘书长陈德明表示，老年员工应该拥有“真正的选择权”，让他们能够继续为社会做出贡献，从全职工作到灵活的工作安排。他还表示，老年员工需要得到保证，他们不必独自应对职业转型，并且能够公平地获得培训和发展机会。新加坡全国雇主联合会副会长陈慧彬表示，在劳动力市场紧张和劳动力增长放缓的情况下，投资于老年员工正成为一种“企业必需”。她说：“我们需要转变构建员工队伍的思维方式，认识到全职和兼职员工可以发挥互补作用。通过重新设计工作岗位并提供更灵活的工作安排，雇主可以留住宝贵的经验，并建立更具韧性的多代团队。”

人力部、全国职工总会和新加坡全国雇主联合会在一份新闻稿中表示，这一变化让资深员工更有信心，如果他们愿意，就可以继续工作。

其他措施包括延长对重新雇用老年人的雇主的工资补贴，提高对低收入老年工人的补贴，以及增加对未重新就业人员的经济援助。

政府已完全接受三方老年人就业工作组的这些建议，具体实施细节将于 2027 年上半年公布。

迪内什先生表示：“高级职位不应仅仅意味着多年从事同一份工作，而应意味着在更长的职业生涯中拥有有意义的选择，并充分利用资深员工的力量为企业成功做出贡献。”

全国职工总会副秘书长陈德明表示，老年员工应该有“真正的选择”，可以选择继续为社会做出贡献的方式，从全职工作到灵活的安排。

他还表示，资深员工也需要得到保证，他们不必独自应对职业转型，并且需要公平地获得培训和机会。

新加坡全国雇主联合会（SNEF）副总裁陈慧彬表示，在劳动力市场紧张和劳动力增长放缓的情况下，投资于年长员工正成为一种“企业必需”。

“我们需要转变观念，重新构建我们的员工队伍，认识到全职员工和兼职员工可以发挥互补作用，”她说。

“通过重新设计工作岗位并提供更灵活的安排，雇主可以留住宝贵的经验，并建立更具韧性的多代团队。”

（从左至右）全国职工总会副秘书长陈振声、人力部政务部长瓦苏和新加坡全国雇主联合会副会长陈慧彬于2026年10月26日在乌节酒店出席老年人就业三方工作组报告发布会。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

新加坡的劳动力人口正与总人口同步老龄化。到2025年，50岁及以上的劳动者将占劳动力的约40%，高于2015年的约34%。

“人口老龄化预计将进一步增加老年人在劳动力中所占的比例。到2030年，新加坡每四个人中就有一人年龄在65岁及以上，”该工作组在其报告中指出。

报告指出，50岁后期及以上居民的劳动力参与率急剧下降。

根据政府调查，照顾家人是 50 多岁劳动者不工作或不寻找工作的首要原因，而灵活的工作安排是让他们留在劳动力市场的最佳举措。

灵活装载计划

一项新的灵活工作安排计划将帮助雇主为老年员工创造和扩大工作量灵活的工作岗位，例如兼职或部分工作。

这项新政策将取代现有的兼职再就业补助金，该补助金将于 2027 年后结束。该补助金为每位向本地老年员工提供兼职再就业、其他灵活工作安排和结构化职业规划的雇主提供 2,500 新元的补助，每家公司最高可获得 125,000 新元的补助。

该项补助金面向60岁及以上的老年人，并根据雇主人力资源政策的调整为其提供资金。自2020年以来，该补助金已惠及约68,500名老年人和约7,800家雇主。

工作组表示，新的弹性工作安排计划将涵盖 50 岁及以上的员工，并要求雇主“证明创造更多弹性工作岗位的成果”。

与此同时，技能与劳动力发展署将牵头设立一个新的职业发展长期规划办公室。该办公室旨在帮助劳动者更积极主动地规划职业生涯和技能转型，并支持雇主采用结构化的职业规划和实施灵活的工作安排。

它将借鉴通过赋能成熟员工多阶段职业生涯行动联盟开发的灵活工作量模型，包括工作重新设计和将员工与基于项目的机会相匹配。

工作组表示，这些努力构成了一个更广泛的生态系统的一部分，其中包括更强大的人力资本能力、技能创前程支持和职业转换计划、三方就业理事会为受人工智能相关变化影响的工人提供的支持，以及《工作场所公平法》对年龄歧视的制裁。

技能创前程求职者支持计划也将进行审查，以帮助正在经历职业转型的资深员工。

再就业年龄、援助和税收减免

工作组表示，新加坡的退休制度取得了持续较高的再就业率，超过十分之九的符合条件且希望继续工作的员工都获得了再就业机会。

无法提供再就业机会的雇主必须向受影响的工人一次性发放就业援助金，以便他们寻找其他工作。

政府将提高这项补贴的建议金额，以反映近年来工资的增长。目前该补贴金额为三个半月的工资，最低为6250新元，最高为14750新元。

政府还将提高对超过退休年龄和再就业年龄仍在工作的劳动者的“收入补贴”。55岁及以上的劳动者目前已可根据年龄申领最高8000新元的补贴。

再就业信贷和工资支持

从 2028 年起，将推出新的再就业补贴，以抵消雇主因留住资深员工而产生的业务成本。

它将取代老年人就业补贴，该补贴为雇用 60 岁及以上且月收入低于 4000 新元的新加坡人的雇主提供高达 7% 的工资抵免。

为应对工资增长，新信贷计划的工资上限将会提高。

三方工作组还建议，尤其要改善对低收入老年劳动者的工资支持。具体措施包括提高就业收入补贴，该补贴以现金和中央公积金的形式发放给低收入劳动者。

渐进式工资补贴计划也将进行更新。该计划为雇主根据渐进式工资模式和当地合格工资要求必须支付的工资增长提供共同资金，同时也为低收入工人的自愿加薪提供资金。

高年级学生与应届毕业生之间的平衡

在小组讨论中，工作组联合主席被问及如何在两类求职者（应届毕业生和资深人士）之间取得平衡。

迪内什先生表示，不应将这两个群体视为在竞争同一职位，并指出资深员工中的大多数是低收入员工。

他表示，初级员工在为组织创造价值之前，需要一段时间才能胜任工作，让资深员工指导和帮助他们，可以作为继任计划的补充措施。

他补充说，人力部正在研究如何加强此类导师制。

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