Rate of Re-employment of PMETs Who Have Reached Statutory Retirement Age
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns a request by Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song for data on re-employment rates for resident PMETs and the specific reasons for non-offers. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng stated that about 98% of PMETs were offered re-employment in 2022 and 2023, though earlier data was not broken down by PMET status. Among senior workers not offered re-employment in 2023, 80% chose not to continue working, while others faced lack of vacancies, performance issues, or medical unfitness. He noted that re-employment rates have remained consistently high since 2012 and are monitored annually rather than through the requested quarterly reports. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng added that the Ministry will consider highlighting noteworthy trends in annual publications as necessary.
Transcript
106 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower in each of the last five years (a) how many resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) applied for and were offered re-employment upon reaching the statutory retirement age; (b) how many were not; (c) what were the reasons provided by employers for not offering re-employment, excluding those medically unfit to work; (d) whether the Ministry will consider publishing data on re-employment of PMETs reaching the retirement age as part of its quarterly reports; and (e) if not, why not.
Dr Tan See Leng: In 2022 and 2023, about 98% of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) were offered re-employment. PMET data for the years prior to 2022 is not available, as the data was not broken down by PMET and non-PMET. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not collect PMET-specific data on the reasons why workers are not offered re-employment. Amongst all senior workers who were not offered re-employment in 2023, eight in 10 did not want to continue working. The rest were not offered re-employment either because there was a lack of suitable vacancies, the employees did not meet work performance requirements or they did not meet requirements on medical fitness.
MOM monitors the re-employment rate of eligible seniors annually. The re-employment rate for eligible senior workers has remained consistently high since the introduction of the re-employment policy in 2012 and does not vary much year to year. Where relevant, we will consider highlighting noteworthy trends in our annual publications.