The Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) supports employers to expand local hiring from September 2020 to September 2021 (inclusive), so as to create good and long-term jobs for locals.
Employers that increase their overall local workforce* between September 2020 and September 2021 (inclusive) will receive Government support. The qualifying window for new local hires will be:
- Phase 1 of the JGI: September 2020 to February 2021
- Phase 2 of the JGI: March 2021 to September 2021
To be eligible for the JGI, there must be an increase in overall local workforce size AND an increase in local workforce size earning ≥$1,400/month, compared to the August 2020 local workforce for Phase 1, or the February 2021 local workforce for Phase 2.
The support is 25% (or 50% for mature local hires aged 40 and above AND all persons with disabilities (PwDs) of the first $5,000 of gross monthly wages^ paid to all new local hires^^. The supportable gross monthly wages will be increased to the first $6,000 of gross monthly wages paid from March 2021 for mature local hires aged 40 and above, PwDs or ex-offenders.
Government support will be for up to 12 months for non-mature local hires from the month of hire and 18 months for mature, PwD or ex-offender local hires, if employers continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
To encourage employers to retain their existing local employees as far as possible, the JGI payout will be adjusted downwards in the following circumstances:
- if any existing local employees (in the employer’s employ as at August 2020) leave the employer after August 2020. This applies to local hires employed in Phase 1.
- if any existing local employees (in the employer’s employ as at February 2021) leave the employer after February 2021. This applies to local hires employed in Phase 2.
- The adjustment factor will be higher if more existing local employees leave the employer.
Eligible employers will automatically receive their JGI payouts, which will be computed on a monthly basis based on the employer's mandatory CPF contributions. However, some employers may receive review letters from IRAS to further substantiate their eligibility.
Eligible employers will start receiving the first JGI payout from March 2021 onwards.
*Local workforce: Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.
^ Gross monthly wages include local employee mandatory CPF contributions but exclude employer CPF contributions.
^^ Business owners (i.e. sole proprietor of a sole proprietorship or partners of a partnership) and employers trading in their own capacity are not considered employees and will not count as new local hires. Only new local shareholder-directors who are salaried employees of the company will be eligible for the JGI. Existing shareholder-directors who were not salaried employees in the month of August 2020 (or February 2021) will not be eligible for the JGI if they start receiving salary from September 2020 (or March 2021) onwards.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for the JGI is dependent on the month the hiring of new locals was achieved.
To be eligible for Phase 1, all employers who have made timely mandatory CPF contributions and achieved the following increases in their local workforce between September 2020 and February 2021 (inclusive), compared to the August 2020 local workforce, i.e. the baseline headcount:
- Condition 1 - Increase in overall local workforce; AND
- Condition 2 - Increase in local employees earning gross wages of at least $1,400 per month
Employers must have been established on or before 16 August 2020 to be eligible.
To be eligible for Phase 2, all employers who have made timely mandatory CPF contributions and achieved the following increases in their local workforce between March 2021 and September 2021 (inclusive), compared to the February 2021 local workforce, i.e. the baseline headcount:
- Condition 1 - Increase in overall local workforce; AND
- Condition 2 - Increase in local employees earning gross wages of at least $1,400 per month
Employers must have been established on or before 15 February 2021 to be eligible.
To receive the JGI for full 12 months or 18 months from the month of hire for each new local hire (depending on worker profile), the employer must have qualified for JGI during the eligibility period for each phase (i.e. September 2020 to February 2021 or March 2021 to September 2021), and continually meet the eligibility criteria for the entire payout period.
Employers can use the JGI calculator in 'Click here to learn more / Apply' to calculate their baseline and check their eligibility for JGI.