Written Answer to PQ on Greater flexibility in foreign worker quota calculations

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1128 OF 2026 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 10 SEPTEMBER 2026
QUESTION NO. 1897 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Shawn Loh

To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry has considered providing more flexibility on foreign worker quota calculations based on the last three-month average number of local employees, particularly for startups, high growth companies, or companies looking to staff up quickly for events or special projects.

Answer:

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) calculates a company’s foreign worker quota based on the latest three-month average number of local employees in the company. To support the manpower needs of businesses, MOM exercises flexibility for newly set-up companies by granting foreign worker quota based on the number of local employees in the latest month instead of using a 3-month average. On a case-by-case basis, MOM also considers appeals from companies for flexibility in computing foreign worker quota based on the specific circumstances of the company.