Singapore raises PMET salary thresholds, expands work permit limits amid hiring debate
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has announced major changes to its foreign worker policy for professional and skilled roles. Starting from July 2026, long-serving work permit holders can stay indefinitely, removing previous duration caps of up to 26 years. Minimum qualifying salaries are rising: S Pass holders must earn at least three thousand three hundred Singapore dollars from September 2025, with further increases planned for January 2027. The government cited data showing resident PMET employment grew by 382,000 over the past decade, while foreign professionals increased by only 38,000. However, public concern persists about competition for skilled jobs. The government frames these changes as balancing economic competitiveness with local worker protection, but opposition parties argue the measures don't go far enough to prioritize local hiring.
Key facts
- Over the past decade, resident PMET employment grew by 382,000 while EP and S Pass holders increased by only 38,000
- From July 1 2026, the 14-26 year maximum employment duration cap for work permit holders will be removed
- Minimum S Pass qualifying salary rises from 3,150 to 3,300 Singapore dollars from September 2025
- EP minimum qualifying salary will increase from 5,600 to 6,000 Singapore dollars from January 2027
- In 2025, roughly four in five new jobs went to non-resident workers while resident employment grew by 11,600
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning opposition parties like the Workers' Party emphasize that Singapore remains heavily reliant on foreign labour, and that refocusing policies to prioritize local hiring could strengthen the local workforce, especially in PMET roles. They advocate for skills transfer requirements and fixed-term work passes to ensure foreign workers develop local talent rather than simply filling positions.
Right-leaning coverage: Right-leaning opposition figures like the Progress Singapore Party argue for significantly stricter regulations on foreign PMET hiring, potentially raising Employment Pass salary thresholds much higher to exclude foreign nationals from junior and mid-level positions. They focus on public concerns about job displacement and argue more could be done to protect local professionals from foreign competition.
Limits of this briefing
Recent employment data shows most new job creation in 2025 favoured foreign workers, which complicates the government narrative of robust local job growth. Critics also note that one-third of reported PMET growth came from reclassification of existing roles rather than new job creation, raising questions about the quality of local employment gains.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (Official): Factsheet on Foreign Workforce Policy Announcements at COS 2025 Centre
- Workers' Party: Working for Singapore: The Workers' Party Manifesto 2025 Left
- The Online Citizen: Tan See Leng's job growth claim questioned: 1 in 3 new PMETs were just reclassified Left
- The Financial Coconut: PMET & GE 2025: How Each Party Plans to Address Mid-Career Employment Challenges in Singapore Centre
- People Matters Global: Singapore overhauls work permit rules for foreign talent: What employers need to know Centre