'Involuntarily unemployed' can get monthly payouts by going for activities that boost job chances

People who lose their jobs involuntarily, such as those who are retrenched, can soon qualify for monthly payouts while they search for work, by tapping a new "activities-based" support scheme.

- Sharon Salim

Some $200 million will be set aside for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which is slated to be rolled out in mid-April.

Eligible job seekers can apply for and receive payouts of up to $6,000 over six months if they complete a set of employment-related activities, such as going for career coaching and job-matching services, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon in Parliament on March 7.

The scheme is expected to benefit about 60,000 people a year, which accounts for more than 60 per cent of those who are involuntarily unemployed, he added.

Besides retrenchment, people may find themselves unwillingly out of work because of dismissal or termination of employment due to illness, injury or an accident, and company closure.

"Job seekers will be guided to complete meaningful activities like attending a career fair, updating their resume and going for career coaching," Dr Koh said, adding that these activities are based on research with job seekers.

They can also make use of various support services offered under the scheme, such as career coaching by Workforce Singapore (WSG), SkillsFuture courses and career fairs.

Dr Koh, who was speaking during the debate on the Manpower Ministry's budget, noted that the scheme is "more than just financial payouts and a job". "It includes a simple and easy framework to guide job seekers along the activities that they should embark on to equip themselves to find a job and re-enter the working world with confidence."

To qualify, job seekers must have been unemployed for at least one month from the last day of employment before receiving the payout.

They must also have earned $5,000 or less a month on average for the duration of their previous employment within the last 12 months, and cannot live in a property with an annual value more than $31,000. This is because the scheme focuses on lower- and middle-income people.