Second batch of Employment Support Scheme subsidies released

Employers received a total of $6.5b to get through from June to August.

The government has released the second batch of the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) on 29 June, a press release revealed. The new batch covers about 33,679 employers, where 98% of the beneficiaries are under micro, small- or medium-sized enterprises.

These employers have received wage subsidies totalling about $6.5b (for June to August), and they have committed to maintaining a total paid headcount exceeding 280,000.

Since 26 June, the ESS Secretariat has commenced the disbursement of wage subsidies to the third batch of 30,016 successful employer applicants, with subsidies totalling around $7.7b and total committed headcount of paid employees about 335,000.

The first tranche of ESS was closed on 14 June, benefitting 168,799 applications from employers and 259,860 from self-employed individuals. Overall, the ESS Secretariat has approved 89,400 applications, accounting for 53% of the applications received.

A government spokesman said that the ESS Secretariat aims to complete all qualified applications in mid-July.