ASEAN launches labour statistician network to support future workforce planning

1 The ASEAN Labour Statisticians Network (ALSN) was launched today to support member states in earlier identification of emerging jobs and skills to strengthen workforce planning across the region. The Network, which was proposed by Singapore, will support ASEAN member states to better anticipate labour market impact of AI, the green transition, as well as digital and platform work.

2 The inaugural annual ALSN Expert Forum, taking place in Singapore from 27 to 29 October, marks the first public presentation of two major milestones for the network: the ASEAN Green Jobs Report, providing a regional view of green jobs and skills across ASEAN Member States, and the unveiling of a suite of ALSN Co-Creation Incubator Projects that apply new approaches, including AI, to strengthen workforce intelligence.

3 The forum was attended by the ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General (Social Cultural Community) H. E. San Lwin, the Chief Statistician of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Mr Ritash Sarna and Chief Statistician of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Dr Steve MacFeely, and senior representatives from ASEAN.

4 Mr Stanley Loh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore, said: “The world of work is changing quickly, and we need better ways to understand what those changes mean for employment, skills and workers. No country can build that understanding alone. Through the ALSN, Singapore is partnering ASEAN Member States to share data and experience, develop new approaches and build practical tools that can help us identify labour market shifts earlier and respond more effectively. As Singapore prepares to take on the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027, we hope to build on this collaboration and strengthen our collective ability to navigate the future of work.”

5 In his remarks Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community H.E. San Lwin congratulated Singapore and ASEAN Member States on the establishment of the ASEAN Labour Statisticians Network. He called on ASEAN Member States to leverage ALSN not only to strengthen labour statistics, but also to enhance the region’s collective capacity to understand, anticipate and shape the future of work. He noted that these efforts would contribute to more resilient labour markets, more competitive enterprises, and better outcomes for workers across ASEAN.

6 Through the ALSN, ASEAN member states can work together to better understand emerging workforce trends and better equip our workers and enterprises for a rapidly changing world of work.

END

Annex: Background on the ASEAN Labour Statisticians Network and Key Initiatives

About the ALSN Expert Forum

The ALSN Expert Forum 2026 is an inaugural platform that enables the exchange of labour statistics knowledge amongst ASEAN member states, bringing together labour statisticians and senior officials responsible for labour statistics and LMIS from the region, alongside international organisations and experts.

Organised by the Ministry of Manpower's Manpower Research and Statistics Department (MRSD), the Forum facilitates collaboration on common and emerging labour statistics priorities, country experiences and approaches, while strengthening professional networks across the region.

The ALSN Expert Forum is held at Sheraton Towers Singapore from 27 – 29 October 2026.

About the ASEAN Labour Statisticians Network (ALSN)

The ALSN is a regional community of practice established to strengthen cooperation, knowledge exchange and capability development in labour statistics and labour market information systems (LMIS) across ASEAN. Against an ever-changing labour landscape, Singapore has established the ASEAN Labour Statisticians Network (ALSN) (2026–2030) as a platform for technical exchange and collaboration among ASEAN labour statisticians, complemented by engagement with international experts and statistical communities.

ALSN Co-Creation Incubator Projects

The Forum marks the first public presentation of ALSN Co-Creation Incubator Projects, which bring ASEAN labour statisticians together to develop practical ways of identifying and measuring changes in the workforce.

The projects apply AI and statistical methods to challenges such as identifying emerging occupations, making job descriptions more consistent for analysis, and assessing workplace opportunities.

The New and Emerging Occupations Model analyses online job advertisements to identify emerging roles, including AI Governance Analysts and Agentic AI Engineers, that may not yet be reflected in existing occupational classifications. This can help countries recognise new areas of labour demand earlier and track the skills employers are seeking.

The AI Exposure Index assesses the potential exposure of occupations to AI based on the tasks performed in each job. It can help identify where AI could change how work is performed, informing skills development and job transformation efforts.

Other projects include tools to standardise job descriptions for more consistent occupational coding, and simulated respondents to help assess interviewers’ skills and identify training needs.

Through joint development and testing, Member States can share lessons, adapt and scale these tools according to their national needs, and strengthen the quality and consistency of their labour market information.

About the ASEAN Labour Statistics Office and ALSN Knowledge Portal

The Forum also marks the launch of the ASEAN Labour Statistics Office and the ALSN Knowledge Portal creating new mechanisms for ASEAN Member States to coordinate labour-statistics work and share knowledge and approaches.

The ASEAN Labour Statistics Office will set strategic direction for regional labour statistics work and coordinate planning and implementation under the ALSN, chaired by Ang Boon Heng, Director of the Manpower Research and Statistics Department and Chief AI and Data Officer, Ministry of Manpower. The Office’s work will be overseen by Fang Shun Wu as Head of Office and Executive Secretary of ALSN. As ALSN Convenor for 2026–2030, Singapore will lead this work in collaboration with ASEAN Member States, guided by their shared priorities and national needs.

The ALSN Knowledge Portal will provide a central platform for countries to share experiences, methodologies, lessons and practical approaches on labour-market information.

Together, the ASEAN Labour Statistics Office and ALSN Knowledge Portal will strengthen ASEAN's ability to anticipate labour market changes and translate data into more informed workforce policies. By identifying emerging jobs and skills needs earlier, sharing effective approaches across Member States and improving the consistency of labour market data, these initiatives will help governments make better-informed decisions on workforce planning, skills development and employment policies.

About the ASEAN Green Jobs Report

The ASEAN Green Jobs Report provides a regional assessment of green jobs and green skills across all 11 ASEAN Member States. It examines the current supply of green jobs, demand for green jobs and skills, and the potential for the wider workforce to participate in the green transition.

The report combines occupation-based and skills-based approaches with a deeper assessment of the renewable energy workforce. It provides an initial evidence base for understanding where green jobs and skills are emerging and how workers can be supported to take up these opportunities.

Its findings will inform policy dialogue under the ASEAN Framework and Action Plan for a Just and Inclusive Transition to Green Jobs 2025–2030. They will also support evidence-based policymaking and a more consistent regional approach to defining and measuring green jobs and green skills.