Written reply to PQs on assessment of employment opportunities, wage growth and shift towards tech-driven jobs given declining job creation per dollar of investment

Questions:

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in respect of the EDB Year 2025 in Review which indicated that fixed asset investments increased but job creation fell in 2025 (a) whether the Government assess that Singapore is experiencing a structural shift towards capital-intensive, technology-driven industries; and (b) how its industrial strategy is adapting to ensure continued broad-based employment opportunities for Singaporeans.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in respect of the EDB Year 2025 in Review which is indicative of fewer jobs created per dollar of investment, whether the Government will publish additional metrics on the quality of jobs created, including (i) wage levels (ii) skill requirements and (iii) career progression pathways to better reflect the impact of investments on the livelihoods of Singaporeans.

Written Answer by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong

1.           Despite a more economically fragmented and uncertain global environment, EDB secured in 2025, investment commitments comparable to recent years. The lower number of jobs committed in 2025 relative to 2024 reflects two factors. First, companies are more conservative in their hiring projections, given the challenging and uncertain environment. Second, many of the projects secured are more technology- and capital-intensive and therefore require relatively fewer workers, but each worker generates a higher value-add to the economy. 

2.                  Most of the 15,700 jobs committed over the next 5 years are for Professional, Manager, Executive and Technician (PMET) roles, with two-thirds expected to command a gross monthly salary above S$5,000. We do not have a breakdown of the number of entry-level versus senior management roles. 

3.                  These investments also generate positive spillovers for the broader economy. A 2025 MTI study published in the Economic Survey of Singapore found that firms that are linked to EDB-supported companies enjoyed higher value-added per worker, local employment, and local wages. 

4.                  As outlined at the mid-term update on the Economic Strategy Review, economic growth will be harder to achieve in a more challenging external environment. Moreover, technological change means we can no longer assume that growth will generate the same number of jobs as before. 

5.                  The Government continues to pursue an economic growth strategy to create good jobs for Singaporeans and support Singaporeans with skills training and upgrading to obtain the good jobs created. 

6.                  First, our economic agencies will continue anchoring high-value investments in key and emerging growth sectors, to create good jobs for Singaporeans. As these companies expand and deepen their activities here, Singaporeans will have more opportunities and pathways to progress into specialist, managerial, and leadership roles.

7.                  Second, the Government will work with companies to strengthen the local talent pipeline. This includes partnerships with institutes of higher learning to offer internships and training programmes in our growth industries. 

8.                  Third, we will support our Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to grow and transform. SMEs can tap on the Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT) scheme to help them pursue growth alongside multinational corporations, as well as schemes such as the Enterprise Innovation Scheme and Productivity Solutions Grants, both of which have been enhanced in Budget 2026. 

9.                  Fourth, we will support our companies to redesign jobs and upgrade their workforce. Companies can tap on Career Conversion Programmes to reskill their workers to take on jobs in growth areas. There will also be enhanced support for job redesign under the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant, as part of the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package which will be rolled out from 2026. 

10.                  The Government is continually reviewing our economic and workforce strategies to ensure that we will continue creating good jobs for Singaporeans.