Singapore will extend a program that subsidizes part-time work for older employees through the end of 2027.
The Ministry of Manpower announced, prolonging a key initiative intended to help an ageing workforce remain employed on flexible terms.
The Part-Time Re-employment Grant, known as the PTRG, was set to wind down sooner, but applications reopened December 2025, giving employers nearly two more years to apply for funding.
The program offers financial incentives to companies that retain or hire workers aged 60 and above in part-time or redesigned roles, rather than requiring full-time schedules or nudging them into retirement.
Under the scheme, employers receive S$2,500 ($1,893) for each eligible senior worker, capped at $125,000 per company. The grant can be applied to workers newly brought on or existing employees moved to part-time arrangements with shorter hours or adjusted responsibilities. The Singapore National Employers Federation administers the program in partnership with the Ministry of Manpower.
What officials said
Officials say the aim is not only to keep seniors in the workforce but also to modernize expectations about work at later stages in life.
“The PTRG supports more flexible pathways into retirement,” the ministry said in a statement. “It ensures that work, for older Singaporeans, can be sustainable and meaningful.”
The extension comes amid sustained demand for the scheme. Government figures show that since 2020, more than 7,500 employers have tapped the grant and over 65,000 senior workers have benefited. As of November, approximately S$92 million had been disbursed to companies adapting roles or work schedules for older staff.
Economists say the move reflects broader demographic pressures. With one of the world’s fastest-ageing populations, Singapore faces a shrinking pool of working-age residents and rising healthcare and retirement costs. The government has responded with policies designed to raise labor force participation among older adults and facilitate later-life employment.
The PTRG forms part of a larger suite of measures. The Senior Employment Credit offers wage offsets of up to 7% for companies employing workers aged 60 and above.
What you should know
The Skills Future Level-Up Programme provides mid-career training subsidies for workers 40 and older, and a Career Conversion Programme run by Workforce Singapore funds retraining for mature employees entering new industries.
In July 2025, the government convened the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment, bringing together unions, business groups and agencies to encourage age-friendly job design. A related Alliance for Action, involving 32 organizations, is exploring pilot programs in training, coaching and workload restructuring.
Extending the grant, officials say, gives companies time to adjust. For older workers, advocates argue, it offers something rarer: options. Instead of a fixed retirement date, the program encourages a gradual transition, more choice in hours, a continued paycheck and a longer runway to exit the workforce on their own terms.
The move to support older workers comes as Singapore prepares to enforce stricter immigration rules for permanent residents (PRs), adding new layers of accountability for those living or working abroad.
Starting December 1, 2025, PRs will have 180 days to renew their re-entry permits, the document that allows them to return to Singapore or risk losing their residency status entirely.
