Hiring and retaining talent in Singapore can be a costly and challenging process—especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) trying to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Fortunately, the Singapore government provides a wide range of hiring grants and workforce support schemes to help ease the financial burden of recruitment and workforce transformation.
Whether you’re looking to expand your team, redesign job roles, or tap into underutilized talent pools like seniors or persons with disabilities, there’s likely a grant to support your efforts. In this article, we explore the key hiring grants available to Singapore employers and how they can be strategically used to build and sustain a strong workforce.
1. Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS)
The Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) is designed to co-fund wage increases for lower-wage Singaporean employees. If your company is offering a wage increase of at least S$100 to locals earning up to S$2,500, the government co-funds up to 50% of that wage increase (for qualifying years).
For workers earning between S$2,500 and S$4,000, a lower co-funding rate of 30% applies.
The scheme is automatic—meaning no application is required. It encourages businesses to raise wages in a sustainable way while receiving government support.
2. Senior Employment Credit (SEC)
If you’re hiring Singaporean workers aged 60 and above, the Senior Employment Credit (SEC) provides a wage offset of up to 7%, depending on the age group and salary level. This incentive helps businesses tap into the valuable experience of older workers, while reducing overall hiring costs.
The SEC supports workers earning up to S$4,000 per month and is disbursed automatically to eligible employers. It’s available until the end of 2026.
3. Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC)
The Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC) is aimed at helping ex-offenders re-enter the workforce. Employers who hire eligible ex-offenders can receive a 20% wage offset, capped at S$600 per month, for the first nine months of employment.
This initiative supports fair employment practices and helps integrate marginalized individuals back into society. Claims can be automatically disbursed if the hire was made through Yellow Ribbon-affiliated agencies. Otherwise, employers can submit claims through IRAS.
4. Enabling Employment Credit (EEC)
Hiring persons with disabilities? The Enabling Employment Credit (EEC) provides a wage offset of up to 20%, capped at S$400/month, for employees earning below S$4,000. If the individual has been unemployed for six months or more, an additional 20% offset is available.
This grant is valid until December 2028, offering long-term support for inclusive hiring practices. It helps employers create meaningful roles for persons with disabilities while benefiting from financial incentives.
5. CPF Transition Offset (CTO)
The CPF Transition Offset (CTO) helps employers adjust to increases in CPF contribution rates for older workers. It covers 50% of the increase in employer CPF contributions for Singaporean and PR employees aged 55–70.
With this scheme, businesses can continue employing older workers without being overly burdened by rising CPF costs.
6. Part-Time Re-employment Grant (PTRG)
As Singapore’s workforce ages, retaining senior workers becomes increasingly important. The Part-Time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) provides up to S$125,000 per company for adopting senior-friendly practices, including part-time re-employment and flexible work arrangements.
To qualify, employers must adopt the Tripartite Standard on Age-Friendly Workplace Practices and offer structured career planning for older employees.
This grant helps businesses retain experienced workers while opening up more flexible job roles to attract new hires.
7. Work-Life Grant (WLG)
The Work-Life Grant (WLG) promotes flexible work arrangements (FWAs), such as telecommuting, flexi-hours, and job sharing. Companies can receive up to S$2,000 per local employee per year for sustained FWAs.
It encourages a healthier work-life balance and appeals to a broader talent pool—including caregivers, returning mothers, and older workers seeking part-time roles.
8. Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG)
While not a hiring grant per se, the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) provides up to 50–80% funding for adopting digital solutions that can streamline operations and reduce reliance on manual labor.
HR systems, payroll software, scheduling tools, and job redesign solutions are some eligible categories that indirectly support hiring by improving workforce efficiency.
9. PSG-Job Redesign (PSG-JR)
A sub-component of the PSG, the PSG-Job Redesign (PSG-JR) scheme helps employers improve job roles and work processes to attract and retain staff. It provides funding support for companies engaging certified consultants to redesign job scopes and make roles more attractive and sustainable.
This grant is particularly helpful for businesses in labor-intensive industries like F&B, logistics, and retail.
10. Enterprise Development Grant (EDG)
The Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) supports projects that help companies innovate, improve productivity, or expand overseas. While not directly tied to hiring, EDG helps businesses grow and strengthen operations—which often leads to increased recruitment.
EDG covers up to 50% of qualifying project costs, including consultancy fees, training, and software implementation.
11. SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC)
The SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) is a one-off S$10,000 credit per company that covers up to 90% of out-of-pocket costs for qualifying enterprise development and workforce training programs.
This helps companies invest in employee training and upskilling—essential for onboarding new hires and transforming existing roles.
12. Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS)
The Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS) provides higher course fee subsidies and absentee payroll support for employers sending local workers for approved courses.
It ensures SMEs don’t have to bear the full cost of upskilling and retraining their workforce—especially useful during hiring cycles.
13. Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) Grant
The Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grant supports international expansion, covering up to 70% of costs (capped at S$100,000 per new market) for overseas marketing, business development, and setup.
As companies expand regionally, they often require new staff for logistics, operations, or market entry teams—making the MRA grant indirectly supportive of hiring.
14. SG Enable Inclusive Hiring Schemes
SG Enable offers several grant schemes tailored to support companies that hire persons with disabilities. These include job redesign support, training subsidies, and funding for workplace accommodations.
Such schemes create an inclusive hiring culture while reducing onboarding and operational costs for employers.
15. Upcoming: Business Adaptation Grant (Launching Oct 2025)
A new Business Adaptation Grant will be introduced in October 2025, aimed at helping firms navigate global trade disruptions. While not purely a hiring grant, it will provide up to S$100,000 per company to help businesses restructure, including HR strategy and workforce planning.
It’s expected to support employers adapting to overseas market volatility, compliance shifts, and supply chain changes—with workforce changes being a key element.
16. Corporate Income Tax Rebate for Employers
As part of Budget 2025, companies that have hired at least one local employee in 2024 will receive a corporate income tax rebate of up to S$40,000, with a minimum cash payout of S$2,000.
This incentive rewards companies for maintaining a local workforce and helps reduce overall tax liabilities.
How to Tap Into These Grants
Most of the wage-offset schemes (PWCS, SEC, UEC, EEC, CTO) are automatically credited based on CPF and IRAS submissions. For others like PSG, EDG, and WLG, applications are submitted via the Business Grants Portal (BGP).
For more complex grants like the PTRG, businesses will need to engage with agencies like the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) or Workforce Singapore (WSG) for application support and compliance requirements.
Final Thoughts
With Singapore’s robust ecosystem of hiring grants, employers have access to a wide range of support measures to make hiring more affordable, inclusive, and sustainable. Whether you’re hiring entry-level staff, mature workers, or expanding your team overseas, these grants offer real, tangible support that can reduce your costs and improve your hiring outcomes.
By planning strategically and combining different grants—for example, pairing wage offsets with training and productivity grants—businesses can strengthen their workforce while remaining financially agile in a competitive economy.
Stay informed, take advantage of available support, and position your business for long-term success.