Marks 50% increase from decade ago, MOM says
The nominal gross monthly income of full-time employed residents at the 10th percentile increased to $1,800 in 2023, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
This is a 50% cumulative hike from the $1,200 in 2023.
MOM issued the data following a question from Desmond Choo, Singaporean Member of Parliament, on the latest nominal gross monthly wage.
Choo also asked about the coverage of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM).
"Currently, up to nine in 10 of full-time lower-wage workers benefit from the Progressive Wage Model, Local Qualifying Salary (LQS), and the Progressive Wage Mark accreditation scheme," MOM said in response.
About five in 10 full-time resident employees earning at or below $1,800 are covered by the PWM, MOM added. Another three in 10 are covered by the LQS, hiking their wages from below $1,600 to at least $1,600.
"In a tight labour market, workers who are not directly covered by PWM or LQS should also see increases in their wages as firms compete for manpower," MOM said.
The PWM is a government initiative aimed at helping to increase the wages of workers through upgrading their skills and improving productivity. It covers resident employees across nine sectors and occupations.
Sectoral PWM covers the Cleaning, Security, Landscape, Lift and Escalator, Retail, Food Services, and Waste Management sectors. Occupational PWM, on the other hand, covers the Administrator and Driver occupations.
In addition to the PWM and LQS, lower-income workers may also get additional support through the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme.
Workers aged 30 years and older can receive WIS payments of up to $4,200 annually, which is expected to go up to $4,900 per year from 2025.
