Speaking on 29 Oct, Minister of State Foo Cexiang urged employers using AI in HR to be open about its role, keep human contact at key moments such as interviews, and stay accountable for decisions.
Get That Job, a sister site, gives a fuller account of the three AI hiring principles.
Source: MOM — Address at Best Workplaces Singapore Awards 2026 (29 Oct 2026)
From September 2026, MOM has added eight new roles to the Non-Traditional Source (NTS) Occupation List — the list of jobs employers can fill with Work Permit holders from a wider range of source countries. What’s changing The eight added occupations span food services, social services, and air transportation — sectors that have flagged persistent…
Peter Seah is stepping down as Chairman of the National Wages Council after more than a decade in the role. Hsieh Fu Hua, currently NWC Deputy Chairman, will succeed him with effect from 19 August 2026. Seah requested to relinquish the position for personal reasons, and the Ministry of Manpower approved the request. He chaired…
MOM said work injury compensation insurance premiums are not priced by employees’ age and it has seen no evidence they affect the hiring of senior workers, but some employers have raised concerns about the cost and limited coverage of non-mandatory group medical insurance for older staff. The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment is studying the issue and will share its recommendations later in 2026.
Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau told Parliament that about 88% of employers that filed Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications in 2025 paid retrenchment benefits, and close to 80% of retrenched workers who did not receive them came from firms with fewer than 200 employees. Tripartite partners are studying retrenchment benefit payments and earlier job-matching support as part of the ongoing Employment Act review, and MOM will work on clearer guidance on disguised retrenchments.
MOM says the key appointment holder of Maids R Us was jailed for nine weeks on 15 Oct under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. His agency licence was revoked in June and he is barred from the industry.
MOM’s advance figures show total employment grew by 27,700 in the third quarter of 2026, while retrenchments rose from 4,620 to 4,800 and the overall unemployment rate held at 2.0% in September.
