The study, titled Women’s Workforce Re-entry: Challenges, Barriers & Opportunities, forms the first part of a three-year research-to-action programme by the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO). Future parts of the programme will focus on domestic violence in 2027 and caregiver well-being in 2028, according to the organisation. The research examined women’s experiences searching for a job, re-entering the workplace, and remaining employed.
The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations Workforce Study Findings
The research drew on 20 in-person focus group discussions with 120 women held in July, an online poll of 502 women living in Singapore aged 24 and above conducted in August, and a review of local and overseas return-to-work initiatives. The focus groups included younger women returning after maternity leave, mid-career women who took caregiving-related career breaks, women aged 50 to 65 who were out of the workforce for extended periods, and women who unsuccessfully attempted to return to employment. Both Professional, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMET) and non-PMET workers participated.
According to SCWO chief executive officer Yan Ping Koh, the findings are not nationally representative of all women in Singapore. Instead, the research captured experiences of women at different life stages and points in their return-to-work journey. “Returning to work is not a single moment when a woman starts looking for a job again – the support actually must begin before she leaves the workforce and continue after she returns,” Koh stated.
Challenges in Finding Suitable Employment
Among the 502 women polled, 299 had previously taken or were currently on a career break. Of that subset, 80 per cent stated they wanted to return to work. At the same time, nearly 70 per cent of all women polled believed taking a career break made finding suitable employment more difficult.
Women in the study described preparing to return by updating resumes, refreshing skills, and searching for jobs through multiple channels. However, participants reported difficulty finding roles that matched both their experience and their need for workplace flexibility. Koh noted that addressing these barriers requires a broader shift in mindset.
“To do this, we need a mindset shift and review the way we look at caregiving in general,” Koh said. “We need to look beyond simply getting women back into jobs to whether suitable opportunities exist, whether workplaces are ready to support their return alongside their caregiving duties, and whether women can stay and progress once they return.”