Written Answer to PQ on PMET Re-employment Outcomes

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1391 OF 2026 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 7 OCTOBER 2026
QUESTION NO. 2178 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan

To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) in the last three years, what proportion of retrenched professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) are re-employed into a different industry; (b) what proportion experience lower wages upon re-employment; (c) how these outcomes differ by previous industry and last-drawn salary band; and (d) whether the Jobseeker Support Scheme can be enhanced to support more PMETs.

Answer:

From 2023 to 2025, 67.4% of retrenched resident PMETs who were re-employed switched to a different industry, of which 60.2% of them earned lower wages than their last-drawn salary.

2. Retrenched resident PMETs who remained in the same industry were less likely to experience wage loss. Of those that switched to a different industry, retrenched resident PMETs from outward-oriented sectors (e.g. Manufacturing, Transport & Storage) were more likely to experience wage decline upon re-employment. On the other hand, those from domestic-oriented sectors (e.g. Food & Beverage services, Retail Trade) were less likely to experience wage decline upon re-employment into a different sector. Retrenched resident PMETs with previous earnings above the median PMET income were more likely to experience wage loss.

3. The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme provides temporary financial support to involuntarily unemployed individuals who are actively seeking employment. MOM is studying the impact of the JS scheme which was launched in April 2025, and will assess if enhancements are needed.