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Oral Answer to PQ on Recruitment costs of MDWs and protections against misrepresentation from EAs

NOTICE PAPER NO. 353 OF 2026 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 14 JANUARY 2026
QUESTION NO. 1126 FOR ORAL ANSWER

MP: Dr Choo Pei Ling

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has any plans to (i) further reduce upfront costs to hire migrant domestic workers (MDW) for families with young children or vulnerable elderly and (ii) enhance protections against misrepresentation from agencies, and MDWs who commit offences or wish to cease work for reasons not due to employer fault, such as homesickness; and (b) if so, what are these plans.

Answer:

The median upfront recruitment outlay to hire new migrant domestic workers (MDWs) is around $4,700, around 50% of which consists of the loan to MDWs that employers subsequently recover. This upfront cost has remained largely stable since 2022 after accounting for inflation.

2 With more than 2,500 licensed Employment Agencies (EAs) that place MDWs, EAs have to take into account market competition when placing their services. We provide information on MOM’s online EA directory to enable employers to compare EA's track record, such as customer service ratings, years of service and retention and transfer rates of MDWs when choosing EAs. When there is a mismatch of MDWs with employers, MOM requires EAs to refund employers at least 50% of the service fees paid if the MDW’s contract is terminated within the first six months of employment without a suitable replacement. Furthermore, families with young children and elderly enjoy significant subsidies today in the form of a concessionary levy at $60 per month, instead of $300. This amounts to a total of $5,760 savings over two years.

3 MOM also has measures in place to protect MDW employers’ legitimate interests. MDWs who commit offences such as stealing are barred from future employment in Singapore. Prospective employers can use MOM’s employer reference channel to assess information about the MDW’s past work performance, length  of each employment, and reasons why these MDWs left their past employment before hiring. We will continue to regularly review and enhance our measures, to safeguard the interests of employers and build a system that is fair to both employers and MDWs.