Migrant workers report record-high satisfaction with conditions

This marks the highest recorded level since the survey began in 2011.

Migrant worker satisfaction in Singapore has reached a new high, with 95.3% of workers reporting they were satisfied with their working and living conditions in 2024, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) latest survey.

This marks the highest recorded level since the survey began in 2011.

The same survey found that 96.7% of migrant workers intended to stay with their current employer or return to work in Singapore in the future, up from 91.9% in 2018.

Trust in MOM remained strong, with 97% of respondents saying the ministry was effective in protecting them, and an equal percentage saying their working conditions were safe. In addition, 92.3% said they would recommend Singapore as a place to work, citing safety, high wages, and adequate worker protections as the top reasons.

Workplace trust also appeared high, with 99.5% of migrant workers saying they would report a work-related injury to their supervisor or employer. MOM noted that electronic salary payments are now almost universal, with 92% receiving wages directly into bank accounts.

A further 88.5% said their food arrangements met their personal preferences, such as cooking for themselves or purchasing meals from vendors.

Amongst employers, 70.8% expressed satisfaction with the quality of their migrant workforce. Only 1.4% reported dissatisfaction. Retention remained high, with 75.2% of employers renewing work permits for more than 80% of their workers.

Many employers also took additional steps to retain and support their workforce: 88.8% offered benefits like salary increments, and 80.6% provided extra training beyond minimum requirements.

Whilst 47.5% of employers said they had good general access to migrant workers, only 27.3% found it easy to recruit workers with the right skills, particularly for more specialized roles.