The foreigner vs local argument has been getting strong in Singapore recently.
And even though we know that there are many rich people out there looking to get into Singapore provided we’re not too “hazardous” to their financial health
Some can’t help but wonder: Is Singapore protecting Singaporean residents’ rice bowls?
Well, a local MP from Pioneer (we say local because it’s in the west where our office is located at) decided to ask for some hard numbers from the Minister of Manpower, the lady-who-cried, Ms Josephine Teo.
Here’s What He Got:
In a Facebook post, MP Patrick Tay shared two important pieces of data he obtained from the Minister of Manpower.
Breakdown of Workforce Still Employed
The first is a breakdown of Singaporeans, Singapore PRs and non-residents PMETs in the Singapore workforce from 2010 to 2019.
The data was broken down across four broad categories: Manufacturing, Construction, Services and Others.
Some of the trends observed include:
- The total number of PMETs across Singaporeans, PRs and non-residents have increased from 2010 to 2019.
- In terms of real numbers, the number of Singaporean PMETs have increased the most (248k), followed by non-residents (182k) and PRs (23.5k).
- In terms of percentage increase, non-residents increased by more tha 80%, followed by Singaporeans (30%) and PRs (10%).
- Within the manufacturing sector, the number of Singaporean PMETs employed has dropped from 121.8k in 2010 to 103.6k in 2019.
- The highest proportion of non-resident PMETs is in the services industry, which includes IT services, banking, the financial industry and more.
Previously, it was reported that there are over 6,300 jobs and training opportunities in the manufacturing sector for Singapore residents, with 80% of them for PMETs, so you might want to take a look if you’re looking for a job.
It was also previously reported that foreign talents were brought in as a stopgap measure for opportunities which requires skillsets that the local workforce does not have yet.
Singapore is investing heavily in equipping its local workforce with skills of the future like data analytics and encouraging banks to groom local employees with the potential to become a global leader in the future.
Breakdown of Unemployment Rate
Since you’ve already seen who’s employed, how about those who are unemployed?
Mr Tay’s second piece of data details the unemployment rate among Singapore resident (Singaporeans and PRs) PMETs, broken down into gender and age.
Trends observed include:
- Both male and female Singapore citizens experienced a spike in the unemployment rate for PMETs, with females experiencing a higher spike than male.
- On the other side, the male PR PMETs unemployment rate has remained stable (1.5) while female PRs experienced a drop in the unemployment rate (3.9 to 3.0).
- For both Singaporeans and PRs, mid-career PMETs (age 40 and above) experienced an increase in the unemployment rate.
- Singaporeans have a higher unemployment rate (below 30 years old) compared to our PR counterparts, probably because for guys, we’re still studying for half of our third decade.
- The unemployment rate for Singaporean and PR PMETs, aged 30 to 39, has the least fluctuation compared to other age bands.
Looking at the figures, it’s no wonder why the government is placing a lot of priority on getting middle-age workers, including PMETs, get back into a job as soon as possible, given how they’re the “more vulnerable group” on the job market.
Netizens Still Not Happy
While the data looks pretty comprehensive, some netizens out there still aren’t happy with the data.
Most had to do with how several sectors, which has gained attention recently, were lumped into one broad category:
While a certain netizen thinks there might be a clearer breakdown that wasn’t shown:
You can read Mr Patrick Tay’s full post below and decide for yourself:
Well, at least we know one thing for sure; this MP got do work one.
Previously, he came out to conduct online lessons for Singaporean employees to tell them about their rights. That was earlier during the CB period where it seems like companies are going to cut cost (and manpower) like crazy.
Read Also: Police Concluded Investigations About Woman Who Was ‘Told’ Who to Vote for During GE2020
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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