Singapore VT Workforce: Wages Up, Ages Down

The vertical-transportation (VT) industry in Singapore is seeing a younger workforce and significantly higher wages, with the median age dropping from 46 to 40 since 2023 and wages seeing 14% and 10% jumps in 2024 and 2025, respectively, The Straits Times reports. Factors, including the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) — an initiative that helps increase wages through upskilling and improving productivity — and technology are credited for the turnaround. Overall, there has been a 7% increase in Singaporeans working in the industry since 2023, with approximately 1,300 taking care of roughly 79,000 elevators and 7,900 escalators. Singapore Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said at an inaugural VT awards ceremony in November that the PWM has resulted in a VT specialist earning a minimum of SGD3,590 (US$2,770) per month. Technology being implemented, Chee Hong Tat said, includes an AI-powered technician assistant developed by KONE.