SINGAPORE: Almost 40 per cent of lower-income families on ComLink+ did not have any family members earning a regular wage at the end of 2024, according to a report by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) published on Tuesday (Dec 16).
Last year, 4,025 families on ComLink+ had no family member in stable employment with regular income. This rose from 3,563 in 2023, data from the ministry showed.
Stable employment refers to being in employment for six consecutive months or more in a year. The data does not capture income from platform work before 2025, hence it may underestimate the number of families with members employed, said MSF.
For those with jobs, the report also found that the earnings of households in the lower-income brackets rose faster than that of median households over the past five years.
From 2019 to 2024, the annualised growth for groups in the bottom 20 per cent of earners was 1.9 per cent, which is higher than the median group’s 1.3 per cent.
The ministry said in a statement: “While the government creates opportunities and provides additional support for lower-income families, these families often have unique needs that are not easy to address, even with nationwide programmes.”
