Singapore's Working Hours Compared with OECD Economies and Plans for Moderating Working Hours

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower in light of The Economist's ranking which drops Singapore's economy to eighth after adjusting for working hours (a) how is Singapore's working hours compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and advanced economies; (b) what is the top three professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) and non-PMET occupations with the longest hours; and (c) what measures are being considered to help moderate working hours for workers.

Employed residents in Singapore worked an average of 41.4 hours per week in 2025. This has declined steadily over time, from 44.2 hours per week a decade ago. Even after adjusting for working hours, Singapore is still placed higher in The Economist's ranking of richest economies compared to other Asian economies.

In 2025, Health Professionals, Production and Specialised Services Managers, and Administrative and Commercial Managers were among the professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) occupations with the longest working hours. Among non-PMET occupations, Protective Services Workers, Drivers and Mobile Machinery Operators, and Clerical Supervisors recorded longer working hours. The relatively longer working hours do not translate to lower pay. On a per hour basis, wages in Singapore remain the top 10 among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

To remain a thriving business hub, Singapore must successfully compete with other regional economies and serve global customers across different time zones. Instead of regulating working hours which would limit options available to employees who have different needs and requirements, we have promoted flexible work arrangements to enable workers to achieve better work-life harmony and balance their work and personal commitments. This is achieved through the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests which sets out the process for workers to formally request for flexible work arrangements and for employers to consider these requests on reasonable business grounds.

Beyond flexibility, changing how we work can also help moderate working hours. The Government supports employers in adopting technology and redesigning jobs through enterprise and workforce transformation initiatives, so that work can be done more efficiently. This enables workers to deliver higher value in less time, improving both productivity and work-life harmony.