to a preliminary 4,800 in the third<\/span><\/a> \u2013 the highest since the pandemic \u2013 and the Government expects it to stay around this level, Lau said in her first interview with local media since taking over the ministry after a July Cabinet reshuffle.<\/p>\nEven as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) watches the labour market\u2019s health over the next two quarters to see which trends are sustained, it is not waiting to act, she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our moves that we want to put in place are anticipatory. Knowing that it (the labour market) could turn worse or it could soften further, let\u2019s do something to give our workers a bit more confidence about the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
MOM is also looking at more support for seniors, strengthening legal protections for white-collar workers and making a push for flexible work arrangements.<\/p>\n
Lau said the ministry, under an ongoing review of Singapore\u2019s main labour law, is considering levers to get employers that are able to pay retrenchment benefits to do so. These include restricting an employer\u2019s access to foreign workers or grants if they withhold benefits when laying off workers.<\/p>\n
MOM plans to adjust existing schemes to better support workers rather than create new ones, as Singaporeans do not need \u201canother list of new schemes and acronyms\u201d, said Lau, 43, a former senior civil servant elected at the 2025 general election.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to feel that the existing schemes can work for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
More career transitions coming<\/h2>\n
Speaking to reporters from The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao at the Lifelong Learning Institute on Nov 6, she said current retrenchment levels do not signal a downturn or recession, and have been seen at other points over the last decade.<\/p>\n
But they do signal that more career transitions will have to happen, she said.<\/p>\n
Headline figures such as job vacancies and employment growth remain strong, Lau said.<\/p>\n