Singapore government incentive boosts hiring of locals
- Claire Lee
Singapore’s jobs growth incentive has helped some 27,000 firms expand their team size with the hiring of 130,000 locals between September and November last year.
The Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) supported hiring across multiple growth sectors, where close to four in 10 of the 130,000 hires were in the industries of Wholesale Trade, Professional Services and Information & Communications, highlighted the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a press release.
Almost half of the 130,000 hires were not employed at the point of hire and over a quarter had been unemployed for over six months, it added. Close to half of the supported hires were aged 40 and above, while one-third were aged 50 and above.
The government is also trying to encourage the hiring of mature workers through the scheme. Under the enhanced JGI, eligible employers will receive up to 50% wage support for each local aged 40 and above, hired between March and September 2021, for up to 18 months.
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Meanwhile, businesses hiring seniors, aged 60 and above, can tap additional support, such as the Senior Worker Early Adopter Grant and the Part-Time Re-employment Grant to adopt progressive workplace practices, it said.
To benefit more businesses, the government has extended the JGI to end-September to benefit more businesses and jobseekers. Employers hiring eligible locals can receive up to S$15,000 (US$11,147) per hire.
