Over 1,000 job seekers can start earning points under support scheme to qualify for payouts

SINGAPORE – There has been a solid take-up rate for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme launched on April 15.

More than 1,000 applicants have already been approved, noted Workforce Singapore (WSG), without revealing the total number of applications.

The resident unemployment rate came in at 2.9 per cent in the first quarter, up slightly from 2.8 per cent in December 2024.

Successful applicants in the scheme can receive up to $1,500 in the first month, $1,250 in the second, $1,000 in the third and then $750 a month for the remaining three months.

The payouts are capped at a job seeker’s past average gross monthly income. So if the person earned an average of $900 a month, the monthly payout under the scheme will not exceed that amount.

Applicants must earn at least 10 points a month for the first three months and five points a month for the next three months to remain in the scheme, which is open to lower- and middle-income adult Singaporeans who have lost their jobs due to retrenchment, business closure, illness or other reasons beyond their control.

Points can be earned by completing some of these activities:

Points for each activity differ, with those requiring more time and commitment worth more.

Proper documents needed

Applicants must submit documentation showing they were involuntarily unemployed by their previous company, said WSG. “This could be in the form of formal termination letters or e-mail exchanges (showing) the ending of employment was initiated by the employer,” said a WSG spokesperson.

Resignation letters, payslips or a Central Provident Fund transaction history without supporting evidence of involuntary unemployment are “insufficient” for approval. Employers are encouraged to provide valid correspondence to former employees and to respond promptly to WSG requests for clarifications when receiving applications from job seekers.

Job seekers from age 21 who have been unemployed for at least one month from the last day of employment can apply.

Applicants must also have been employed in Singapore for at least six months in the past 12 months, but a one-off concession is given to those who lost their jobs on or after April 1, 2024 – if they meet all other criteria and submit their applications by June 15.

They must also have earned $5,000 or less a month on average for the duration of their previous employment within the last 12 months.

They cannot live in a property with an annual value of more than $31,000. The annual value of a property is the estimated gross annual rent if it were to be rented out.

Ms Syikin (not her real name) is participating in the scheme. She has been undertaking job search activities and racked up 10 points in the first month by attending career events for networking purposes and exploring job opportunities.

She is now waiting for a payout of up to $1,500.

Ms Dyana Nusantry Jumadi, a successful applicant who had started attending career coaching sessions with a WSG coach, has just secured a job at a built environment company.

When she was retrenched in July 2024, she began to apply for a new job, but to no avail. She took on several Workforce Skills Qualifications courses to upgrade herself and was referred to NTUC’s e2i career coach by her social worker in February before applying to the JS scheme in April.

While she has started completing job search activities and clocking points, she was not eligible for the payout as she had already landed a job.