Written Answer to PQ on Statistics on AI related retrenchments

NOTICE PAPER 654 OF 2026 FOR A SITTING ON OR AFTER 12 JANUARY 2026
QUESTION NO. 48 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will publish quarterly statistics on (i) retrenchments citing AI being one of the reasons for redundancy, (ii) the redeployment rates of such affected workers and (iii) the average time for these affected workers to re-enter employment; and (b) if not, why.

Answer:

1. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) surveys businesses on the reasons for carrying out retrenchments, with business restructuring being one of the categories. The proportion of retrenchments due to business restructuring has generally ranged from 60% to 70% since 2024. Business restructuring may stem from productivity improvements or work efficiency gains arising from the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other technological advances.

2. The Government will continue to study the impact of technological adoption, including AI, on employment trends.