Written Answer to PQ on Time Taken for Caregivers to Return to Workforce

NOTICE PAPER NO. 552 OF 2026 FOR THE SITTING ON 2 MARCH 2026
QUESTION NO. 1611 FOR ORAL ANSWER

MP: Ms Mariam Jaafar

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has data on the length of time taken for adult caregivers to return to the workforce after discharging their caregiving responsibilities; (b) if so, what are the mean and median time taken in 2025.

Answer:

The Ministry of Manpower does not have data on the length of time taken for adult caregivers to return to the workforce after discharging their caregiving responsibilities. Caregiving is often part of ongoing family arrangements and may change over time as needs evolve. Some individuals may also return to work while caregiving continues, which makes it difficult to determine when caregiving has fully ended.

2. Available data show that around 1 in 4 residents who were outside the labour force primarily due to caregiving responsibilities returned to work within two years. Among those who did not return, around 8 in 10 had no intention to seek employment. We will continue monitoring labour force participation and return patterns among caregivers,and make adjustments where appropriate.