Retrenchment of Resident PMETs Aged 45 to 59 and Their Six-month Re-employment Rate

Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Minister for Manpower (a) for each of the past three years, what is the number of retrenched resident professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMET) aged 45 to 59 and their six-month re-employment rate; and (b) what proportion of this group qualifies for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme given that many within the group were in above the $5,000 income ceiling before retrenchment.

Dr Tan See Leng: In 2025, around 4,200 resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 45 to 59 were retrenched, higher than 3,200 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2023. Their six-month re-entry rate remained stable at 48.5% in 2025, compared with 48.9% in 2024 and 50.1% in 2023.

The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme helps ease the immediate financial pressures of involuntarily unemployed individuals to rush into a new, potentially ill-fitting job. It is, therefore, targeted at lower- to middle-income individuals. Around 20% of retrenched resident PMETs aged 45 to 59 were eligible in 2023 and 2024. Data for the 2025 retrenched cohort is not yet available.