Lawrence Wong holds the line: AI will not produce jobless growth in Singapore

Singapore Pledges No Jobless Growth Amid AI’s Economic Shift

Singapore’s parliament has underscored that the nation will avoid jobless growth while adopting artificial intelligence (AI) across its economy, according to a recent Bloomberg report from February. This commitment matches the stance Prime Minister Lawrence Wong articulated during a parliamentary debate in February concerning the 2026 budget—the most direct commitment made by a major Asian economy on the impact of AI on employment. Wong assured that AI would be harnessed to drive economic growth while being mindful of worker worries about AI’s deployment. This commitment comes with tangible measures: the Champions of AI program offers firms support for AI adoption and workforce training, and four national AI missions target advanced manufacturing, connectivity and logistics, finance, and healthcare, overseen by a National AI Council. The labour movement has also added its own set of requests for AI-ready career pathways, greater job transition support for displaced workers, and inclusivity measures for older and less skilled employees. Prime Minister Wong’s pledge will be empirically tested in coming years if employment rates, wage growth, and entry-level hiring remain stable amidst increasing AI deployment.

Key Points:

Singapore insists on achieving no jobless growth amid widespread AI implementation.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong reaffirmed his commitment to grow the economy through AI while combating potential worker displacement.
The government has initiated the Champions of AI program and established four national AI missions to foster this transformation.
The credibility of the no-jobless-growth pledge will depend on sustained employment figures and wage growth over the next few years.