Singapore’s Salary Story: Rising Higher Than the Covid‑Bump
When the pandemic hit, wages across the city-state fell for the first time in 16 years. Fast forward to this year and the numbers are back on the up‑and‑up track, even nudging past pre‑Covid levels.
Median Pay’s Big Leap
- Nominal median income: $4,680 in June 2025, up 3.2% from $4,534 in 2020.
- The year‑on‑year dip of 0.6% in 2024 is finally waving goodbye.
- Real (inflation‑adjusted) growth hit 1.1%, reversing the 0.4% decline we saw last year.
Championing the Low‑Wage Crew
Those in the lower income bracket feel the difference too.
- Real pay for full‑time workers in the 20th percentile rose 4.6% (excluding government payouts).
- Including subsidies like Workfare Income Supplement, the 20th‑percentile salary crept 0.6% above pre‑Covid levels.
- A five‑year trend shows strong growth (2.8%/year) for lower‑wage staff, driven by initiatives such as the Progressive Wage Model.
Job Market’s Mixed Bag
Unemployment rates stay a bit higher than before the pandemic, but there’s room for optimism.
- Overall resident unemployment held steady at 2.6% in October.
- Resident unemployment dropped to 3.4% from 3.5%, while citizen unemployment nudged from 3.7% to 3.6%.
- For professionals, managers, executives & technicians (PMETs), the rate slipped to 3.4%.
- Non‑PMETs saw a sharper drop, from 6.4% to 5.1%.
- Long‑term unemployment (25+ weeks) stayed flat at 0.8% for PMETs and 0.9% for non‑PMETs.
Employment Rates Are Counting Up
- Residents aged 15+ achieved a 67.2% employment rate in June, up from 64.5% a year earlier.
- Age‑group highlights:
- 15–24 years: 37.2% vs. 30.9% – thanks to runners‑up in part‑time and temp gigs.
- 25–64 years: 81.8% up from 80.3%.
- 65+ years: 31.7% versus 28.5%.
Workers’ Roles: More Permanent, Less Permanent
Permanent contracts still dominate, but a bigger slice of the workforce is on a short‑term ride.
- Permanent roles: 88% of resident employees.
- Fixed‑term contracts: 8.4%, a bump from 7.3% last year.
- Full‑time hours have trimmed to an average of 45 per week (49.2 back in 2010).
Plugging the Skill Gap with Support Packages
Over 146,000 job seekers have found positions, attachments or training under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills package (by September). The Jobs Growth Incentive helped 58,000 companies hire more than 400,000 locals between September last year and May this year.
Ministerial Message: Skill Ups, Future‑Proof Jobs
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng highlighted a focus on up‑skilling local talents and re‑imagining job roles to meet tomorrow’s needs.
“We’re looking to empower workers with the skills that the future workplaces will demand, while collaborating with employers to reshape their job structures.”
In a nutshell:
- Wages are back to pre‑Covid highs.
- Lower‑wage growth remains robust.
- Unemployment is easing but still above historic levels.
- More employment, especially among youth.
- Skill training initiatives are driving job placements.
That’s the low‑down on Singapore’s wage and employment landscape as of the latest Ministry of Manpower data.
