By: Leong Sze Hian
500 local jobs growth in last 18 months
I refer to the article “Good jobs crucial amid low employment growth”. It states that “There is concern on the ground that local employment growth has been flat, at just 500 over the past 18 months. Average yearly growth was 73,000 from 2012 to 2014”.
The article produced three charts as shown below.
Since the narrative in the article cited only the average yearly employment growth from 2012 to 2014 – let’s look at say the period from 2007 to 2009.
2007 to 2009 – employment change 196,900?
During these three years – employment change was 196,900.
2007 to 2009 – 202,254 new PRs, 57,775 new citizens?
But during the same period – 202,254 new PRs and 57,775 new citizens were granted.
How many local jobs to Singaporeans?
So, how many of the 196,900 local jobs went to Singaporeans?
Breakdown into Singaporeans & PRs?
What we need to know is the breakdown of the jobs into Singaporeans and PRs.
Foreign manpower policy well balanced?
Looking at the above – what do you think of the statement in the article – “Foreign manpower policy must also be well balanced. Neither taking in many more workers, nor reducing foreign manpower growth to zero, will be good for the economy”?
Haven’t add foreign employment growth!
And we haven’t even talked about the foreign employment growth in the same period (2007 to 2009) yet!