Debate Speech on Budget Statement 2026 by Desmond Tan, Deputy Secretary-General, NTUC; and MP for Pasir Ris-Changi GRC on 25 February 2026

Mr Deputy Speaker Sir,

I rise in support of this year’s Budget.

I think it is one that provides critical stability in the midst of uncertainty and chaos. And with this stability, it helps us to propel forward to pursue progress for Singapore and Singaporeans.

Opening Message: Two AIs – Answers and Questions

Last September, I spoke about two forces shaping Singapore’s future. I named it the Two AIs:

1. AI #1 is Artificial Intelligence – generates information at lightning speed, changing the way we work and live.

    

2. AI #2 is Ageing Individuals – experienced workers who bring their wisdom, judgement and perspective to the workplace.

Today, I would like to build on these two AIs and on this idea.

AI helps us find answers much faster. But it is Experience in AI #2 that helps Singapore ask better questions.

Singapore’s success will depend not only on how quickly we find answers, but whether we ask the right questions about our future economy, workforce and jobs.

As Singapore becomes a super-aged society, our goal is to support our seniors to age with dignity, security and peace of mind.

Progress Over the Past Decade

Mr Deputy Speaker, the Labour Movement and our tripartite partners have been preparing for this transition for many years:

1. We supported raising the retirement and re-employment ages, which are on track to reach 65 and 70 by 2030.

    

2. We strengthened CPF contributions for senior workers and to progressively raised the salary ceiling to protect retirement adequacy.

    

3. We backed the Workplace Fairness Act to reinforce protections against workplace discrimination.

    

4. And we have consistently pushed for job redesign, lifelong learning and stronger mid-career transition support.

These efforts have made a difference. More seniors today are financially prepared for ¹ and more are choosing to remain economically active.

But as our workforce transforms, challenges remain.

New Workforce Realities

First, as our population ages, overall resident labour force participation is gradually declining, from 70.5% to 67.9% in the last five years.² This is a structural challenge that will affect our economic resilience for the long-term.

Second, many seniors still face barriers in staying meaningfully employed, such as hiring filters or reduced benefits at re-employment. NTUC surveys show that they take longer to find jobs—6.2 months versus 4.9 months on average for other workers³ —and 37.5% report narrowing job prospects due to age.⁴ I am sure members here would have also heard of anecdotal experiences among residents who face challenges in their job search.

Third, many seniors worry about keeping up with technological advances, and its impact on job security. While many are willing to learn, they face constraints of lower familiarity with new technologies,⁵ and heavier caregiving responsibilities.

Employers have also cited difficulties such as mismatched salary expectations,⁶ skills gaps, and concerns about higher wages.

These are not straightforward and also difficult issues to deal, but I remain optimistic that Singapore can navigate these challenges through our deep tripartite cooperation and especially in these times of artificial intelligence.

Pillar 1: Enabling Seniors to Stay Employable Through Choice, Flexibility and Inclusion

Mr Deputy Speaker, let me articulate three priorities as we navigate this change, especially for our senior workers. The first priority is to enable seniors to remain employable with Choice, Flexibility and Inclusion.

Many seniors want to continue working beyond their retirement age. NTUC’s Senior Employment Survey shows that more than 70% of senior workers are open to employment beyond the retirement age.⁷

But this is not about expecting seniors to simply stay in the workforce longer.

It is about giving seniors the choice⁸ and flexibility to continue contributing meaningfully, building on their strengths, experience and skills.

Employers should continue developing flexible career options, and the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment (TWG-SE), which I also co-chair, is exploring ways to expand and broaden these options.

Through the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers (AfA-EMW), companies have piloted promising models. One example is Mandai Rainforest Resort’s hobby- or interest-based job roles and recruitment prototype, where seniors are hired based on their hobbies and interests, with roles redesigned to build on these strengths and passions. Through this approach, Mandai gave Mr Richard, a 60-year-old nature enthusiast, the opportunity to serve as a Welcome Ambassador in a role aligned with his love for nature. With support from his colleagues and employer, Richard now takes pride in bringing guests around the resort to experience the natural surroundings which he cares deeply about.

Some employers have also created structured pathways that allow seniors to transition gradually into retirement while continuing to contribute meaningfully. At Schneider Electric, for example, the Senior Talent Programme offers different “personas”, including “Pivot”, which enables senior workers to take on roles such as coaches and mentors while remaining engaged in the organisation.

These initiatives show that when employers redesign jobs thoughtfully and provide structured training and pathways, they can unlock the full potential of our senior workers.

Senior workers must also be able to contribute with dignity and without fear of discrimination.

The Tripartite Workgroup is studying whether additional and more dedicated support can be extended to long-term unemployed seniors seeking to re-enter the workforce.

This need was reflected in the experience of Mr Sunil, a senior jobseeker who shared in a forum letter last week⁹ about how NTUC’s Career Festival gave him more than job advice — it restored confidence and reassurance at a critical stage of his job search. His experience reminds us that beyond advice, senior jobseekers benefit from personalised guidance and support as they navigate career transitions.

We should therefore continue to encourage our employers to support and invest more in training and job redesign for mature workers and also to facilitate multi-generational workplaces.

Pillar 2: Making AI Worker-Centric

Mr Deputy Speaker, the second priority is to ensure that Artificial Intelligence strengthens rather than replaces our workers, especially our senior workers.

AI-Ready SG and Company Training Committees

As mentioned earlier, NTUC has launched the AI-Ready SG initiative, which is a one-stop platform to train and upskill workers, support firms in transformation and improve matching for workers to access better jobs.

Apart from the support given to workers in areas such as training and matching, NTUC has also launched AI Readiness Index (AIRI), AI Transformation Blueprint, and Sectoral AI Playbooks that provide companies with practical guidance on business transformation and resources to support their workers’ upskilling. I am pleased to share that the first three playbooks have been launched¹⁰, and I encourage employers to work closely with us to tap on these resources in their transformation journey.

Our Company Training Committees, including our growing network of Queen Bees, also play a critical role in business and workforce transformation.

They bring employers and workers together to co-create upskilling and job redesign plans that directly benefit their business and upskill our workers.

Let me share one example:

1. At Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the introduction of an AI-enabled predictive patient monitoring system has helped nurses manage fall-risk patients more effectively.

    

2. I met Senior Enrolled Nurse Lilian Teng, who is 69 years young. She shared how the system eliminated frequent manual labour, reduced physical strain and allowed her to focus on higher-value clinical work.

    

3. Importantly, her younger colleagues helped her adapt and gain confidence to handle the new technology, while Lilian contributed and shared her clinical experience.

    

4. What encouraged me was not just how AI supported a senior worker in this instance, but how different generations supported each other in the workplace.

This example shows that the future of work is not just about choosing between technology and experience, or between senior or younger workers. It is about maximising their respective strengths and making them stronger by working together.

Pillar 3: Building a Multi-Stage, Cross-Generational Workforce

Mr Speaker, the third priority is to build a multi-stage, cross-generational workforce.

The future workforce will not follow a linear, simple path of education, work and retirement. Instead, I believe it will be a journey of continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling and contributions.

Senior workers will increasingly play roles as mentors and coaches, while younger workers will bring digital capabilities and new technological know-hows.

AI can help bridge these generations by amplifying the strengths of both.

I believe that Singapore’s competitive advantage in the future can lie in combining technological answers with experience-driven questions.

Mr Speaker, I will now speak in Mandarin please.

议长先生,

去年，在9月份的国会辩论时，我就提出了两个AI：那就是人工智能，和我们关注的“年长个人”（ageing individual）。我想进一步强调的是，这两个AI，其实相辅相成：AI 智能能够帮助 提升工作 的速度，年长员工的智慧能够帮助提升工作的准确度。智慧和智能，速度和准确度, 缺一不可。

人工智能可以快速的提供答案，但是年长员工的智慧，判断力、价值观和责任感，以及多年累积的经验，是科技无法取代的。

我们的理念十分明确 — 人工智能无法取代人的智慧，但我们肯定有智慧能够掌握人工智能。

随着科技发展的速度越来越快，人工智能越来越普及，也有一部分年长员工，特别担心自己赶不上变化，难以掌握新技能。

我们理解，也十分注重大家的担忧。

因此，职总推出“AI-Ready SG”计划，推动工友学习和使用人工智能工具，也支持企业运用科技，进行工作再设计，帮助转型的过程更加顺利。

步入马年，世界局势依然不明朗，企业仍然面对许许多多的挑战。工友们也必须尽自己的一份力，未雨绸缪，积极为未来做规划和打算。

如果我们每一位工友都能够善用人工智能，善用多年累积的智慧，我相信智慧加上智能，科技加上经验，既有速度也有准确度，那新加坡一定能够在乱中求稳、稳中求进。

Conclusion - Vision for Singapore’s Workforce Future

Mr Speaker, looking ahead, our workforce must be defined not by age, but by capability.

We must move from lifetime employment to lifelong employability.

From qualifications alone to demonstrated skills and adaptability.

From protecting jobs to strengthening job security.

Ageing, like AI, is upon us. Standing still is not an option. I therefore call on our tripartite partners to step up support for all our senior workers - to prevent premature exit from the workforce, to help them bounce back when needed, and to sustain meaningful employment for as long as practicable.

This Budget lays strong foundations for the transformation towards an AI-enabled economy. As a small nation whose strength lies in our people, we must press ahead with AI in ways that strengthen — not replaces — our workers.

We welcome the Government’s assurance that technological progress will not come at the expense of our workers. Together, we must act decisively to put in place the support needed for workers to adapt, progress and continue contributing with confidence.

The Labour Movement stands ready to work closely with our Tripartite Partners to ensure that every worker, including our senior workers, will not just adapt to change, but thrive in the AI-enabled economy.

Thank you.

================================================================================================