Government rolls out the $7b first tranche of Jobs Support Scheme

It will co-fund the first $4,600 of monthly wages paid to each local employee.

Over 140,000 employers will start to receive the first tranche of payouts under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) by 15 April, according to a press release. Totalling over $7b, the payouts will help to cover the wages of over 1.9 million local employees.

Under the JSS, the government will co-fund the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages paid to each local employee for a total of nine months. Employers do not need to apply to receive the JSS payouts. The first tranche is based on wages paid from October-December 2019.

There are three tiers of support for employers in different sectors: firms in the aviation and tourism sector will receive 75% co-funding, firms in the food services sector will receive 50% co-funding, and firms in all other sectors will receive 25% co-funding.

As announced by the minister for finance Heng Swee Keat, the JSS wage subsidy for April will be enhanced to 75% for all sectors to help firms retain and pay their workers during the circuit breaker period.