Number of Employment Pass Holders Earning More Than $5,000 in 2019, 2020 and 2021

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Manpower how many Employment Pass holders earned more than S$5,000 in 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Dr Tan See Leng: The data requested by the Member is given in Table 1 below. From December 2019 to December 2021, the number of Employment Pass (EP) holders decreased from 193,700 to 161,700, in part due to COVID-19-related entry restrictions. Over the same period, the share of EP holders earning $5,000 or higher increased from 82% to 87%.

MOM regularly reviews the EP qualifying salary 1 to keep pace with local PMET 2 wages. This ensures that EP holders are of good calibre and are not hired simply because they are cheaper than locals. Correspondingly, the share of EP holders earning higher wages has increased over time.

Note(s) to Question No(s) 50:

1 The EP minimum qualifying salary is currently $4,500. From September 2022, the EP minimum qualifying salary will be raised to $5,000. The qualifying salary increases progressively with age for older and more experienced candidates, up to $10,500 for a candidate in their mid-40s.

2 Refers to Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians.