Written Answer to PQ on Statistics on Local Qualifying Salary (LQS)

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1128 OF 2026 FOR THE SITTING ON 5 AUGUST 2026
QUESTION NO. 1803 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye

To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what percentile of the wage distribution of full-time employed resident workers does the current Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) of $1,800 per month correspond to; (b) what is the latest nominal gross monthly income from work, excluding employer CPF contributions, at the 10th percentile; and (c) whether the current LQS remains aligned with lower-income workers’ wages.

Answer:

Based on the latest available data, the current Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) of $1,800 per month corresponds to about the 6th percentile of the income distribution of full-time resident employees. The nominal gross monthly income from employment (excluding employer/platform operator CPF contributions) of full-time employed residents at the 10th percentile was $2,000.

2. The Government reviews the LQS regularly, taking into account wage growth at the lower end of the wage distribution and business considerations. The LQS is part of a broader set of Progressive Wage moves to uplift our lower-wage workers. Following the increase in the LQS from $1,600 to $1,800 that took effect on 1 July 2026, up to 9 in 10 lower-wage workers benefit from Progressive Wage moves1.
1 These include the Local Qualifying Salary, the Progressive Wage Model, and the Progressive Wage Mark.