As markets await a major artificial intelligence (AI) led global workforce upheaval in the not-too-distant future, Singapore Prime Minister  Lawrence Wong said that his country will not see “jobless growth” due to AI led transformations.

Addressing the 2026 Budget debate, PM cum Minister of Finance, Wong said that his government will pay close attention to how companies apply AI in order to enhance human skills and expertise.

“We will not have jobless growth in Singapore. We will exploit AI to grow the economy and we will ensure that growth translates into good jobs and better wages,” said Wong.

PM Wong led People’s Action Party (PAP), the ruling government of Singapore, presented the country’s largest budget till date at $155 billion. The budget comes in the wake of a new National AI Council announced by PM Wong that will oversee the development and execution of “AI missions” and will focus on four sectors: advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance and healthcare.

“Every sector is different and how they use AI and the impact on workers in each sector will vary. And that’s why we are coordinating all of these efforts through the National AI Council aligning industry transformation and workforce upgrading to ensure that AI uplifts our workers,” said Wong.

Singapore is one of the most AI-exposed labour markets globally and according to a 2024 report ‘Impact of AI on Singapore’s Labor Market’ by International Monetary Fund, 77% of Singaporean workers are in high AI-exposure occupations compared to 60% in advanced economics and 40% in emerging markets. 

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