Written Answer to PQ on Age-related Discrimination Complaints by Jobseekers

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1526 OF 2026 FOR SITTING ON 04 NOVEMBER 2026
QUESTION NO. 2389 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Alex Yeo

To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower in 2025 and 2026 to date (a) how many complaints concerning age discrimination involving jobseekers aged 50 and above have the Ministry and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices received; (b) how many are substantiated and what actions were taken; and (c) whether the Ministry has assessed if such complaints accurately reflect the prevalence of age discrimination of older jobseekers.

Answer:

1. From January 2025 to September 2026, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) received a total of 166 age discrimination complaints relating to job advertisements and hiring practices. TAFEP does not track these complaints by the age of jobseekers as some complainants do not disclose their age.

2. Of the 166 complaints, TAFEP referred 162 complaints to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for further investigation. In 122 cases, MOM took enforcement actions such as suspending the employer’s access to foreign workers. Employers were also directed to rectify the lapses in their HR processes.

3. MOM does not rely solely on complaints to assess the prevalence of age discrimination. We draw on multiple sources of information, including surveys on fair employment practices, proactive audits of job advertisements on MyCareersFuture, and feedback from stakeholders. These findings indicate that age discrimination is one of the more common forms of issues faced by jobseekers. The Workplace Fairness Act that will come into force in end-2027 will further strengthen protections against workplace discrimination by making it illegal to make an adverse employment decision based on protected characteristics, including age.