By: Leong Sze Hian
Continuing creation of jobs
I refer to the article “More jobs being created, new programmes to match workers: Swee Say” (Straits Times, Oct 22). The article stated:
“Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say yesterday assured Singaporeans that there is continuing creation of jobs in the country. He is the third government leader in two days to stress the availability of jobs amid news of rising layoffs and a slowing economy.
On Thursday, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong and Acting Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung had pointed to the thousands of job vacancies in such sectors as healthcare, IT and precision engineering.
Yesterday, Mr Lim highlighted the continuing flow of investments here. “Every day, every week, every month we are attracting new investments to create new jobs,” he told reporters at a career event for the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.”
Foreign workforce grew 10 times?
My regular insider, ES, sent me the following (Straits Times, Aug 20, 1984):
ES also pointed out that since 1984 – the local workforce grew by about two times against about 10 times for the foreign workforce.
500 local jobs vs 49,000 foreign jobs?
As to the creation and availability of jobs – in the last 18 months from January 2015 to June 2016 – employment change was 49,000 foreign jobs against only 500 jobs for locals.
29,955 new PRs and 20,815 new citizens
Also, 29,955 new PRs and 20,815 new citizens were granted last year (we don’t know yet how many were granted in the first six months of this year).
How many Singaporeans?
So, how many of the 500 local jobs went to Singaporeans?