Companies should try to draw more older workers and women back to the labour force, said Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin on Monday. Firms should tap on the experiences and skills of older workers and give more help to woman employees to balance their work and family commitments, he added.

These moves will encourage more older workers and woman to continue working, which will make workplaces more progressive, said Mr Tan who was speaking at the Manpower Ministry's National Day Observance Ceremony attended by some 500 public servants from the ministry and its statutory boards.

Besides older workers and women, the minister also pledged that the Government will continue to pay attention to low-wage workers and professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) who are affected by economic restructuring. Low-wage workers will get help from Workfare while job-matching services to help jobless PMEs will be stepped up.

In his speech, he also noted that despite the recent increase in the unemployment rate of Singapore citizens to 3.1 per cent, the rate remains very low. He pointed out that economic restructuring and the productivity will not be let up, so as to ensure the Singapore economy can achieve growth without relying too heavily on labour force growth.