AI Is Making Singapore’s Workers Anxious. PM Wong Says Training Is the Answer

Singapore's prime minister used his National Day address to acknowledge what surveys have been signalling for months: workers are anxious about AI. Lawrence Wong promised skills and training investment — but Q2 retrenchments rose to 4,500, and only 14% of Singaporean employees report being engaged at work.

August 10, 2026 03:18 PM IST | Written by Vaibhav Jha

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that an increasing number of workers in the country are getting anxious because of artificial intelligence (AI) led workforce transformation, adding that his government will invest in skills and training to help them overcome anxiety.

In a video message telecast on the eve of Singapore’s 61st National Day on August 8, PM Wong said that the country has benefitted from the AI and semiconductor industry, however, it has also caused anxiety among workers.

“AI is already transforming industries and changing the way we work. But it is also causing anxiety among many workers who worry about how it will affect their livelihoods. Here in Singapore, we will make full use of AI to raise productivity and create better jobs. At the same time, we will invest in skills and training, so that every worker can adapt, grow and thrive,” said Wong.

Singapore’s workforce remains highly exposed to AI as an International Monetary Fund (IMF) 2024 report states that the country’s labour market shows 77% of workers highly exposed to automation, well above the 60% rate IMF gives for advanced economies.

PM Wong in the past has commented on rejecting the concept of “jobless growth due to AI” saying his government is committed to turn Singapore’s workforce AI native. During parliamentary debates on May 5–6, 2026, lawmakers debated and unanimously supported a motion titled “An AI Transition with No Jobless Growth,” filed by National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Secretary-General and MP for Jalan Kayu SMC Ng Chee Meng.

PM’s comments come in the wake of latest Labour Market Advance Release Report for Q2 2026 by Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Singaporean government that reported an increase in total employment by 10,700 in Q2 2026 compared to 9,400 in Q1 2026.
While the report stated that the unemployment rate in Singapore broadly remained at 2%, the retrenchment rate saw a rise in Q2 2026 with 4500 job loss compared to previous quarter figure of 3830 losses in sectors like Information and Communications and Manufacturing.

Another recent Singapore Workplace report 2026 shows that the country ranks among the lowest in Southeast Asia when it comes to employment with just 14% of employees engaged at work, even as it plans for an AI-driven economic transition.

The report found that only 10 per cent of workers under 35 are engaged in their jobs, compared with 16 per cent of employees aged 35 and above in Singapore. Overall, workplace engagement in Singapore remains at 14 per cent, unchanged since 2019 and below both the South East Asian average of 25 per cent and the global average of 20 per cent.

Also Read: Just 14% of Singapore Workers Are Engaged, Even as It Bets Big on AI

Author

Vaibhav Jha
Vaibhav Jha is an Editor and Co-founder of AI FrontPage. In his decade long career in journalism, Vaibhav has reported for publications including The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and The New York Times, covering the intersection of technology, policy, and society. Outside work, he’s usually trying to persuade people to watch Anurag Kashyap films.
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