NTUC Affirms ESR Recommendatons; Calls for Stronger Support for Jobs, Worker Transitions and Good Employment Outcomes

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) welcomes the Economic Strategy Review (ESR) Committee’s recommendations towards strengthening Singapore’s competitiveness and positioning our economy for the future. In supporting the recommendations, NTUC emphasises that with Singapore entering its next phase of economic transformation, workers must remain at the centre of our growth strategy, in the form of better jobs, stronger progression pathways and greater career security.

Translating directional shifts into tangible improvements for workers

These directional shifts are timely, as workers are already experiencing the impact of a faster-changing economy—greater job uncertainty, more frequent career transitions, and rising pressure to continuously adapt their skills. The ESR’s recommendations are therefore critical in setting out how workers can be better supported through these changes.

NTUC and our union leaders have been working closely with our tripartite partners in the ESR committees, surfacing workers’ concerns on job security, career transitions and access to new opportunities. NTUC will focus on translating these directional shifts into tangible improvements for workers, including:

• Strengthening the link between economic transformation and tangible worker outcomes;
• Supporting workers to navigate career transitions more effectively; and
• Ensuring Singapore’s growth continues to create good jobs with clear skills and progression pathways.

Supporting ESR’s strong emphasis on creating more good jobs

As AI adoption accelerates, workers are increasingly concerned not just about job availability, but about job quality, progression and whether new opportunities will be accessible to them. Without deliberate effort, technological change may widen gaps between workers and limit progression pathways.

NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Choo, who is also co-chair of ESR Committee 5, said, “NTUC supports the ESR’s emphasis on creating a broader range of good jobs and ensuring that growth continues to benefit Singaporeans. This shift towards shaping how growth outcomes translate into better jobs is important to ensure that innovation strengthens, rather than weakens, worker prospects. As AI continues to reshape work, we must equip workers with the right skills so that they can benefit from these shifts and move into better jobs and work prospects.”

It was announced on 30 April 2026, that NTUC, together with MOM and SNEF, will form the Tripartite Jobs Council (TJC)¹ to ensure workers and businesses are well-positioned to benefit from AI-driven transformation, while managing transitions in a fair and inclusive manner. The TJC will drive broad-based and sectoral training for workers, develop targeted transition support for various worker segments spanning PMEs, youths and rank and file workers; build public awareness of AI; and encourage take-up of initiatives on the ground.

NTUC will also enable enterprise transformation through scaling up our Company Training Committees (CTCs) and ensuring this translates to better wages and prospects for workers.

Supporting workers through transitions earlier and more effectively

NTUC has consistently advocated for stronger support for workers facing career transitions, in line with the ESR’s Thrust 6. This reflects the longstanding concerns from workers about job security and the challenges of navigating career transitions in a rapidly changing economy.

As economic restructuring accelerates, NTUC has called for a shift towards stronger and earlier proactive support for workers, including those who have lost their jobs as well as those at risk of displacement. In particular, we welcome the emphasis on the following areas:

• Developing structured “career bridges” to help workers move from at-risk roles into more resilient occupations. There is scope for unions to contribute ground insights to inform how at-risk roles are mapped into practical and accessible pathways;
• Strengthening transition support for PMEs, who are increasingly affected by restructuring and often face longer periods of job search, and may require more structured support to pivot into new roles or sectors;
• Providing advance retrenchment notification so that affected workers can receive support from employment intermediaries such as NTUC’s e2i before their last working day.

NTUC has also consistently called for stronger financial support for workers during transitions and appreciates that the Government agrees to review the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) Scheme. NTUC reiterates the need to ensure support reaches a larger group of displaced PMEs, such as by raising the current minimum income threshold of $5,000 per month to the median PME income level².

Taken together, these measures will support a more responsive and worker-centric support system during transitions, an area for which NTUC will continue to push strongly.

Deepening SkillsFuture, strengthening lifelong learning and career mobility

As jobs and skills evolve more rapidly, workers are also facing increasing pressure to continually adapt and upgrade throughout their careers. Many workers, particularly mid-career individuals, may find it challenging to balance work, training and family responsibilities while keeping up with changing skills demands.

The ESR’s focus on strengthening lifelong learning and better integrating training with employment outcomes is therefore necessary. NTUC supports efforts to deepen SkillsFuture support and expand more flexible and modular pathways, so that workers can upskill in ways that are compatible with their work and family commitments. At the same time, it is important to ensure that training remains accessible, relevant, and closely aligned with how work is evolving, so that workers can apply their skills meaningfully in the workplace.

Thus, we support stronger integration between learning and work. Expanding work‑study and place‑and‑train pathways will help strengthen the link between training and employment outcomes. The formation of the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) presents an important opportunity to strengthen coordination across career guidance, skills development, and employment support.

Through the labour movement’s ecosystem such as NTUC’s e2i, NTUC LearningHub and unions, NTUC will step up efforts to translate skills development into better outcomes for workers. For example, NTUC LearningHub works with employers and industry partners to develop industry‑relevant skills pathways to help workers build practical capabilities for evolving job demands, while CTCs support job redesign jobs and link skills upgrading to improved roles, productivity, and wages. NTUC’s e2i provides integrated support across career guidance, skills upgrading and job matching, helping workers navigate transitions and connect to emerging opportunities in a changing labour market. NTUC will work closely with the SWDA to translate national workforce strategies into practical support that helps workers progress.

Working together to secure better outcomes for workers and businesses

The successful implementation of the ESR recommendations will require strong tripartite collaboration among the Government, employers, and workers. NTUC will continue to champion workers’ interests as we work with our tripartite partners to ensure that economic growth translates into better jobs and stronger career prospects for all workers.