To ensure laid off workers in Singapore do not rush into the first job they find, regardless of its suitability and prospects, a re-employment support scheme is needed, reports The Straits Times, citing panellists at a wide-ranging roundtable discussion this week. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, part of the discussion, said, “They may want to do that because they have bills to pay, and they really need to get the finances in order, but frankly, from a system point of view, it may not be the most optimal outcome.” Wong, also finance minister, added that finding the best-fitting job, or training for a job with better prospects, takes time, during which there might be room for the government to step in to provide some interim support.

Wong said that any implemented re-employment support scheme would be part of a broader suite of measures to help Singapore workers move to suitable higher-value jobs with better prospects and pay. Other workforce measures to that same end include the Jobs-Skills Integrator scheme announced in the 2023 Budget. Under the scheme, entities are appointed to ensure improved job prospects and pay for workers who undergo training, by coordinating the training and innovation efforts of employers, training providers and workers within a given sector.