As Singapore shifts its statutory retirement age to 64 and re-employment age to 69 in July 2026, data reveals that over three in five seniors continue working beyond traditional thresholds.
The Dual Realities of Working Past 60
For 71-year-old Said Mohamed, stepping away from the Mandai Wildlife Reserve is simply not on the horizon. Having spent 44 years tending to the flora at the attraction—including a 50-meter-tall buah sentul tree he planted as a seedling—Said continues to clock in daily. Beyond enjoying the social network that keeps him mentally alert, he faces the financial reality of supporting a 37-year-old son with a disability who attends a special school for adults, alongside employing a domestic helper to manage daily care needs.
Conducted by international financial services organization Sun Life across six regional markets, the survey captured responses from 521 individuals in Singapore. The data revealed that even among high-income respondents, 48% reported needing additional income to cover daily living expenses and secure long-term financial stability.
For some, working longer is a flexible choice offering freedom, while for others, it directly reflects financial pressure.
A parallel study conducted between September and October 2025 by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), encompassing nearly 600 respondents across all age groups, showed that 46% of participants expressed a desire to work past the age of 70. This willingness climbed sharply with age, as over 66% of respondents aged 64 or older wanted to keep working past 70, compared to 51% of those aged between 50 and 63.
| Metric / Study | Key Finding | Scope / Demographics |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Life Survey (Nov 2025) | 48% of high-income respondents need extra income for daily expenses. | 521 respondents in Singapore (3,006 total across Asia). |
| NTUC Study (Sep–Oct 2025) | 46% of total respondents want to work past age 70. | Nearly 600 respondents across all age groups in Singapore. |
| MOM Labour Force Advance Release 2025 | Employment rate for workers aged 65 and above rose to 31.5%. | National data spanning 2015 to 2025. |
Institutional Knowledge and Post-Retirement Pivots
According to the Ministry of Manpower’s Labour Force in Singapore Advance Release 2025, the employment rate among workers aged 65 and above rose from 24.7% in 2015 to 31.5% in 2025. Experts argue that this demographic shift brings invaluable assets to the workforce.
Angelique Chan, the director of the Centre for Ageing Research & Education at Duke-NUS Medical School, noted that 60 is the new 40, pointing out that today’s older cohorts are healthier, better educated, and more tech-savvy due to extended healthy life expectancies. Chan emphasized that older workers possess crystallized intelligence—a collection of accumulated facts, skills, and lived experience that cannot be easily taught and helps preserve critical institutional memory within companies.
This retention of experience is visible across various sectors. Susan Kok, 70, assistant director of nursing at Gleneagles Hospital who has practiced since 1976, remains on the job to groom younger colleagues and pass on clinical judgment. Similarly, Phuah Gaik Kheng, 73, transitioned after a 54-year nursing career to become a senior patient experience manager at Singapore General Hospital in 2020, where she leverages her background in the emergency department to mitigate staff abuse and resolve miscommunications.
Paulin Straughan, director of the Centre for Research on Successful Ageing at Singapore Management University, stressed that employers must restructure paid work to meaningfully engage older staff. As statutory age adjustments take effect, the evolving expectations of mature workers will continue to shape how local industries manage talent retention and workforce design.
