Singapore Tightens PMET Work Policy: Higher Salary Bars, Stricter Assessments
Singapore is making significant changes to its foreign worker policies for professionals and mid-skilled workers, known as PMETs. Starting in 2027, employers will need to pay foreign professionals at least six thousand Singapore dollars monthly, up from fifty-six hundred. Mid-skilled workers require comparable increases. At the same time, Singapore is easing some restrictions—foreign workers can now work indefinitely without age limits, previously capped at sixty years old. The government aims to balance two goals: attracting talent needed for growth while protecting local job opportunities. Higher salary requirements make foreign hiring more expensive, encouraging employers to invest in local workers instead. These changes reflect Singapore's aging population and competition for skilled talent across Asia.
Key facts
- Employment Pass qualifying salary increases from SGD 5,600 to SGD 6,000 monthly from January 2027; financial services sector rises to SGD 6,600
- As of July 2025, maximum employment period for foreign workers removed—previously capped at 14-26 years depending on sector
- COMPASS assessment framework mandatory for all new Employment Pass applications since September 2023, using points-based criteria including salary, qualifications, diversity, and local employment support
- Local Qualifying Salary for counting local employees in foreign worker quotas raised from SGD 1,600 to SGD 1,800 monthly from July 2026
- Foreign workers accounted for 38 percent of Singapore's workforce in core support functions as of 2024; Employment Pass holders totaled 177,100 in December 2024
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Opposition parties like the Workers' Party and Progress Singapore Party argue Singapore relies too heavily on foreign PMETs and should prioritize local hiring and skills development. They contend that excessive foreign hiring displaces opportunities for Singaporean professionals, particularly mid-career workers facing retrenchment. Stricter regulations and skills-transfer requirements for work visa renewals would better protect local employment.
Right-leaning coverage: Business groups and pro-growth advocates warn that excessive restrictions risk driving away multinational corporations and foreign investment. They argue that Singapore's small domestic talent pool cannot meet specialized sector demands, that global companies require flexibility to deploy talent across regions, and that overly tight policies could prompt relocation to competing hubs like Hong Kong or Sydney.
Limits of this briefing
Sources focus heavily on government and business perspectives; grassroots worker testimonies from both local Singaporeans and foreign workers remain limited. Political opposition critiques exist but detailed policy alternatives are not fully elaborated in available sources.
Sources
- Singapore Employment Agency: Singapore's Tightening Job Market in 2026: What Foreign Professionals Need to Know Centre
- Ministry of Manpower (Singapore Government): Written Answer to Parliamentary Question on EP Policies Supporting Local Employment Outcomes Centre
- Workers' Party Singapore: Working for Singapore: The Workers' Party Manifesto 2025 Left
- The Financial Coconut: PMET & GE 2025: How Each Party Plans to Address Mid-Career Employment Challenges Centre
- Newland Chase (Global HR/Immigration Advisory): Singapore Announces Further Updates to Foreign Workforce Policies Right