The Big Story: More support for families in NDR 2026, but can businesses cope with the manpower costs?

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has laid out his vision for Singapore’s next chapter, with major announcements on family support, housing, manpower and artificial intelligence at the National Day Rally on Aug 23. But as the Government rolls out more support for families, what will this mean for businesses and Singapore’s workforce? Can businesses cope as manpower growth slows, and will greater support for parents help Singapore turn around its record-low fertility rate? At the same time, as AI becomes a bigger part of the push to boost productivity, how can businesses adapt while ensuring workers are not left behind? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Ang Yuit, President of the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises, and Dr Reuben Ng, Behavioural and Data Scientist at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, to unpack what PM Wong’s announcements mean for families, businesses and workers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.