Female labor force participation rate in Singapore 2014-2023

In 2023, the female labor force participation rate in Singapore was at 62.6 percent. This places Singapore behind countries in the APAC region like Vietnam and New Zealand.

Demand for female labor

Women's participation rate in the labor force varies with age. From the ages of 25 to 29, the labor force participation rate of males and females in Singapore is comparable. The gender gap in the local labor force only emerges when women enter their 30s. Generally, however, the men were more active in the workforce than women. This too is reflected in the boardroom. In 2019, just 18.4 percent of members of boards of directors in Singapore were women.

Female labor force and an aging population

In the face of a rapidly aging population, there is a higher demand for labor in Singapore’s workforce. The labor force participation rate for women aged 65 years and older increased by almost ten percent in the past decade . Measures were introduced by some firms in recent years to ease women’s participation in the workforce. This includes ad hoc flexible work arrangements, such as unplanned time-off and telecommuting. Singapore has also implemented several enhanced maternity benefits and leave schemes for working parents.