NTUC Expands Labour Research Network to Shield Workers from AI Shifts and Job Churn

Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has broadened its dedicated research ecosystem with the launch of the Associate Researchers Circle (ARC) under the Labour Alliance co-laB (LAB), aiming to spot early employment disruptions and guide workers through structural AI-driven changes.

Announced during the sixth NTUC Labour Research Conference on October 1, 2026, the ARC initiative integrates eight emerging researchers from institutions such as NTU, SUTD, Carnegie Mellon, and Michigan State University. The network will investigate critical challenges, including adult skill acquisition, AI's disruption of creative sectors, and technology adoption among older demographics.

Mounting Workforce Pressures NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng emphasized that anxieties regarding rapid technological disruption are concrete realities for professionals, managers, and executives (PMEs):

• Entry-Level Squeeze: Recent NTUC survey data reveals widespread employer cutbacks in junior and entry-level positions.
• Targeted Sector Retrenchments: Q2 2026 labour market figures from the Ministry of Manpower indicate elevated layoffs clustered in formerly resilient sectors—predominantly infocomm technology, financial services, and manufacturing.
• Reskilling Hurdles: Findings from an NTUC-SUTD survey of 818 transport drivers indicated that while most are open to technological modernization, 85% fear job displacement, with 70% citing potential wage loss and lack of time as key obstacles preventing them from participating in training.

"What workers want is reskilling while they still have their jobs, not after they lose them. Workers also want a fair share of productivity gains through better wages, jobs and career prospects."

Strategic Roadmap: AI-Ready SG To support workforce transitions without experiencing jobless growth, NTUC is deploying its AI-Ready SG framework across four central areas:

• Prepare: Targeted upskilling to drive better work prospects, higher pay, and enhanced worker welfare.
• Pivot: Facilitated transition routes into viable adjacent sectors before existing career paths diminish. Protect: Safety nets and institutional advocacy for employees affected by rapid macroeconomic and operational restructuring.
• Productivity: Direct collaboration with enterprises via Company Training Committees to integrate role redesign and reskilling into baseline business planning.

The conference also celebrated the fifth anniversary and largest issue of the Singapore Labour Journal, featuring research-backed guides, including employer-evaluated rubrics for formal flexible work requests.