White-collar workers turn to unions as AI reshapes S'pore's job landscape

More white-collar professionals in Singapore are turning to unions for support as retrenchments climb and artificial intelligence reshapes the job market. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) handled over 3,900 retrenchment and termination-related cases for professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) — up 5% from the year before, according to assistant secretary-general Patrick Tay.

While Singapore's overall unemployment rate remained low at 2% in 2024 and 2025, retrenchments have steadily increased from 6,440 in 2022 to 14,400 in 2025. Tay told The Straits Times that offshoring and relocation were driving some cuts, but businesses are also increasingly citing investments in AI as a reason for restructuring. "Some workers find themselves displaced because job roles are changing faster than they can adapt," he said.

The numbers reflect a broader tension in Singapore's labour market: total employment is growing, but the composition of that growth is shifting. NTUC is particularly concerned about PMEs in professional services, finance, and infocomm technology — sectors most exposed to generative AI's effects. The union is pushing for earlier retrenchment notices and broader access to the SkillsFuture Jobseekers' Support Scheme for involuntary unemployed workers.

Why it matters for Singapore: Singapore's tight labour market masks a structural shift. AI adoption is accelerating job displacement in white-collar roles even as headline employment figures stay healthy. With NTUC reporting that many PMEs still don't realise unions can represent them during retrenchments, the gap between workforce protections and the reality of AI-driven restructuring is widening. How Singapore manages this transition — through retraining, unemployment support, and updated labour laws — will shape whether its "AI opportunity" narrative holds up for the workers caught in the middle.