Singapore is targeting an employment rate of 40% for persons with disabilities (PWDs) by 2030, up from 34.7% currently, as the government prepares a wider package of measures to help people with disabilities enter, remain and progress in the workforce.
The measures are outlined in a 67-page report released by the Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities on October 4. The recommendations focus on strengthening pathways into employment, improving job retention and giving employers greater support to adapt roles and develop inclusive workplaces.
A key initiative will be the creation of an Employment Support Office by national disability agency SG Enable. The office will be located at the Enabling Village in Lengkok Bahru and is expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2027.
The new office will build on existing job placement services by providing longer-term career and skills support for PWDs, while also helping employers navigate workplace and employment-related issues.
The move comes as job retention remains a challenge. Ministry of Manpower data from 2025 showed that only around one in four employed residents with disabilities had remained with the same employer for at least a year. Just 2.2% had stayed with the same employer for seven years or more.
Expanding pathways into employment
The government also plans to expand training and workplace exposure for people with disabilities.
SG Enable’s Sector Train-and-Place programme, which was piloted in 2025, will be extended beyond hospitality into five additional sectors, including food and beverage and information and communications technology.
The programme is expected to support the employment of around 800 PWDs between 2026 and 2030.
Young people will also receive greater exposure to workplaces before entering the labour market. Students in special education schools, the Institute of Technical Education and polytechnics will have more opportunities to develop workplace and soft skills.
Special education schools offering the national curriculum will introduce activities such as workplace learning journeys and job tasters. Transition support will also be introduced as more students with disabilities move from special education schools into ITE and polytechnic pathways.
The focus on transition reflects concerns that moving from education into employment can be a particularly difficult period for people with disabilities and their families.
Goh Pei Ming, Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development, said the government wanted to provide more support during these periods, when individuals and families can face uncertainty around finding and sustaining employment.
Employers to receive wider support
The government will also consolidate several existing employment support schemes for businesses.
The Open Door Programme Job Redesign Grant, Open Door Programme Training Grant for Employers and Employer Development Grant will be combined into a new Enabling Employment Grant.
The new scheme will have a broader scope, including support for employers to customise in-house training for employees with disabilities.
A separate Supported-Enterprise Enabling Grant will support eligible enterprises that employ a significant proportion of PWDs with moderate support needs. Funding can be used for roles such as training officers, therapists and psychologists.
Support under the Enabling Employment Credit, which helps employers offset the wages of PWDs earning below S$4,000 a month, will also be expanded. The income ceiling will be raised, while the amount and duration of the temporary wage offset will increase. Further details are expected later in 2026.
The measures come as Singapore seeks to improve not only access to jobs for PWDs but also their ability to build sustainable careers.
The government has committed to spending up to an additional 60% on average on a person with a disability over the next five years, as part of broader measures covering employment, future care planning and community support.
The employment target reflects a shift towards a longer-term approach to disability inclusion — one that places greater emphasis on helping people secure jobs, remain in employment and develop their skills and careers over time.
- Published On Oct 7, 2026 at 09:30 AM IST
