New network aimed at supporting ASEAN member states amid labour market changes
A Singapore-proposed network that is aimed at supporting member states under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through major shifts in the labour market has been launched this week.
The ASEAN Labour Statisticians Network (ALSN) is a new regional community of practice that aims to better identify emerging jobs and skills in order to strengthen workforce planning across the region.
It also aims to help ASEAN member states to better anticipate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the labour market, as well as other developments like the green transition and digital and platform work.
"Through the ALSN, Singapore is partnering ASEAN Member States to share data and experience, develop new approaches and build practical tools that can help us identify labour market shifts earlier and respond more effectively," said Stanley Loh, Permanent Secretary at Singapore's Ministry of Manpower.
"As Singapore prepares to take on the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027, we hope to build on this collaboration and strengthen our collective ability to navigate the future of work."
Launch of new network
The network was launched on Tuesday at the inaugural ALSN Expert Forum, which took place in Singapore from 27 to 29 October.
It also marked the first public presentation of the network's major milestones: the ASEAN Green Jobs Report and a suite of ALSN Co-Creation Incubator Projects.
Among these projects is a New and Emerging Occupations Model, which analyses online job advertisements to identify emerging roles that may not yet be in existing occupational classifications. These include AI-related roles like AI governance analysts and agentic AI engineers.
Another project is the AI Exposure Index, which assesses the potential exposure of occupations to AI based on the tasks performed in each job. Singapore's Manpower Ministry said the index will help identify where AI could change how work is performed.
New network welcomed
HE San Lwin, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General (Socio-Cultural Community), was present at the inaugural forum and congratulated member states on the network's launch.
He also called on ASEAN member states to take advantage of the ALSN to enhance the region's collective capacity to understand, anticipate, and shape the future of work.
In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of reliable labour market data intelligence in enabling ASEAN to understand, anticipate, and respond to transformations in the world of work, according to the ASEAN website.
The forum was also attended by Ritash Sarna, the Chief Statistician of the International Labour Organization; Dr Steve MacFeely, Chief Statistician of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and senior representatives from ASEAN.
