Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the Singapore government will protect every worker as artificial intelligence transforms the national economy [1].
The announcement comes as workers face increasing anxiety over AI-driven disruption. While the government cannot stop the evolution of technology, its focus has shifted toward ensuring that the workforce remains employable through upskilling and the creation of new roles [1, 2].
Wong addressed members of the National Trades Union Congress during the May Day Rally on Friday [1, 4]. He said that the rapid integration of AI into the workplace creates an environment of instability for certain sectors. He said that the state cannot guarantee the survival of every specific position in the current economy [1, 3].
"We may not be able to protect every job but we will protect every worker. Because in Singapore, every worker matters," Wong said [1].
The Prime Minister said that the government's strategy involves a transition toward a new economic landscape. He said that while disruption is inevitable, the objective is to ensure that the resulting opportunities are higher in quality than those lost to automation [1, 3].
"I cannot promise that there will be no disruption, but this I can promise you — as our economy transforms, we will create new and better jobs," Wong said [1].
He called for a national effort to adapt to these changes to maintain the country's competitive edge. He said that Singapore must ready itself to succeed in this new environment [2].
The pledge to protect workers rather than specific jobs signals a move toward flexible labor policies. This approach focuses on lifelong learning, and state-supported retraining to prevent long-term unemployment as AI replaces routine tasks [1, 2].
“"We may not be able to protect every job but we will protect every worker."”
The shift in rhetoric from protecting 'jobs' to protecting 'workers' indicates a policy pivot toward labor mobility. By focusing on the individual rather than the role, the Singaporean government is preparing for a structural economic shift where traditional job descriptions may vanish, replaced by a requirement for continuous reskilling to remain relevant in an AI-integrated market.
