More older people in Singapore are working, and this is changing who makes up the country’s workforce.
According to MOM’s Labour Force in Singapore 2025 report, people aged 60 and above (citizens and permanent residents) made up 19.3% of the labour force in 2025, up from 12.3% in 2015. That means almost one in five people who were either working or looking for work was at least 60 years old.
Participation has also risen among residents aged 70 and above. Among residents aged 70 to 74, the share who were working or looking for work rose from about one in four to about one in three over the decade. For those aged 75 and above, it rose from under one in ten to about one in seven.
Actual employment has grown too. Among residents aged 65 and above, the share with a job rose from 24.7% to 31.5%, the biggest improvement of any age group.
| Measure | 2015 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Share of labour force aged 60+ | 12.3% | 19.3% |
| Residents aged 65+ with a job | 24.7% | 31.5% |
| Residents aged 70 to 74 working or looking for work | 24.9% | 33.6% |
| Residents aged 75+ working or looking for work | 8.8% | 15.0% |
The report links this to efforts to help older workers stay employed. One of them is the re-employment age, the age up to which employers must offer eligible workers a job. It was 65 in 2012, 67 in 2017 and 68 in 2022. Since July 2026 it has been 69, and it is set to reach 70 by 2030.
Singapore’s population is ageing at the same time. According to the National Population and Talent Division, people aged 65 and above accounted for 21.4% of the citizen population in 2026, up from 13.7% in 2016.
The resident old-age support ratio compares the number of residents aged 20 to 64 with the number aged 65 and above. According to MOM, it fell from 5.7 in 2015 to 3.3 in 2025. The Singapore Department of Statistics projects it could drop to 2.7 by 2030.
Singapore and Other Asian Economies
A 2024 case study published by the Tripartite Collective and drawing on International Labour Organization data, put Singapore’s employment rate among people aged 55 to 64 at 70.6% in 2022.
Japan recorded 78.1%, South Korea 68.8% and Hong Kong 55.7%. Taiwan stood at 47.0%, though its figure refers to 2020. The OECD average was 62.9%.
| Economy | Employment rate, ages 55 to 64 |
|---|---|
| Japan | 78.1% |
| Singapore | 70.6% |
| South Korea | 68.8% |
| OECD average | 62.9% |
| Hong Kong | 55.7% |
| Taiwan (2020) | 47.0% |
That places Singapore 7.5 percentage points behind Japan and 1.8 points ahead of South Korea. The comparison covers five Asian economies and the OECD average, so it does not rank the wider region.
Japan also shaped Singapore’s policy. After study trips to Japan, Singapore’s government, employers and unions adapted its re-employment approach, under which workers may continue in a different job or on different terms after retirement age.
In Japan, companies were at first only encouraged to do this. Singapore went further and made it a legal requirement in 2012, with a way to settle disputes between employers and workers.
According to the case study, the employment rate among Singapore residents aged 60 to 64 rose from 29.5% in 1991 to 64.9% in 2023.
Retirement and Re-employment Ages Are Rising
The minimum retirement age rose from 63 to 64 on 1 July 2026, and the re-employment age went from 68 to 69. Employers must now offer eligible Singaporean citizens and permanent residents the chance to keep working until 69, as long as they meet the relevant employment and medical requirements.
Singapore announced in October 2026 that the retirement age will rise to 65 and the re-employment age to 70 in 2029, a year earlier than the previous target of 2030.
The Senior Employment Credit offsets wages for employers who hire eligible Singaporean workers aged 60 and above who earn less than S$4,000 a month. The offset ranges from 2% to 7% of an employee’s wages depending on age and income, and the highest rate applies to workers aged 69 and above.
References
Chia, N. C. (2024). Tripartism in action: Strategic policies in an ageing workforce. Tripartite Collective, Tripartite Alliance Limited. https://www.tal.sg/-/media/tal/corporate/files/2024/tripartism-in-retirement-and-re-employment-policies.ashx
Manpower Research and Statistics Department. (2026). Labour force in Singapore 2025. Ministry of Manpower, Singapore. https://stats.mom.gov.sg/iMAS_PdfLibrary/mrsd_2025Labourforce.pdf
