Written Answer by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng to PQ on Working Singaporeans Above 65

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1673 OF 2023 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 07 FEBRUARY 2023
QUESTION NO. 2646 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Leong Mun Wai

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) as of December 2022, how many Singaporeans above age 65 are still working; (b) how many of them earn (i) less than $2,500 (ii) between $2,500 and $4,000 and (iii) above $4,000 per month; and (c) what are the top five industries they are working in.

Answer:

1. Around 207,000 residents aged 65 and over were employed in 2022, equivalent to an employment rate of 31%. This is high compared to OECD countries, and is probably the result of the high life expectancy of Singaporeans. The breakdown by their incomes is in the table below.

Employed Residents Aged 65 Years and Over, by Gross Monthly Income From Work (Excluding Employer CPF), and by Nature of Employment, June 2022

Source: Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, Manpower Research & Statistics Department, MOM

2. A third of the 207,000 employed residents aged 65 and over were working part-time. In particular, of the employed residents aged 65 and over who earned less than $2,500 per month, 42% of them were part-time workers. Part-time workers tend to earn less, considering fewer hours worked and the nature of jobs offered.

3. The top five industries employing the most resident workers aged 65 and over in 2022 were wholesale and retail trade, administrative and support services, transportation and storage, accommodation and food services, and manufacturing.