More S’poreans Working Abroad Have Come Back to S’pore Due to COVID-19

You might’ve been reading about the countless imported cases in Singapore and wonder what’s going on; why are people with long-term passes, or Singaporeans living abroad, coming back to Singapore so regularly?

Because remember: those daily imported cases are merely people with COVID-19. There are many others who didn’t have the coronavirus and are just spending two weeks in a hotel before they become part of our community.

Well, because with the pandemic, whatever happened in Singapore would’ve happened in other countries, too.

Fewer Singaporeans Living Overseas in 2020

Last week, the National Population and Talent Division releases data about the Singapore population.

While the overall population has dropped, the number of Singaporeans has increased from 3.5 million to 3.52 million—an increase of 20K Singaporeans.

And it’s not because we’re making more babies.

The number of overseas Singaporeans decreased from 217,200 last year to 203,500 this year.

That’s an additional 13.7K Singaporeans here in Singapore.

The reason is similar to what foreigners in Singapore are facing: there have been retrenchments in other countries too, and Singaporeans working abroad had to pack their bags and come back to Singapore.

To add on, other countries are prioritising their citizens instead of foreigners, too. In addition, over in other countries, the risk of getting infected and not getting treatment (or spending tens of thousands on treatment) is too much for some to bear.

The Real Competition: Singaporeans Against Singaporeans?

Needless to say, you might come to a conclusion after reading this: does this mean the search for jobs will get more competitive, given that we’re going to compete against Singaporeans?

Yes and no.

According to a Straits Times report, recruiters saw a trend in returning Singaporeans: some are still working remotely for the company they used to work in, while others see it as an opportunity to find new jobs here in Singapore.

So if you’re still lying on your sofa and complaining about foreigners snatching your jobs on Facebook, it’s time to buckle up because it was never about others but all about you.

Read Also: Poll Shows 62% of Employees Not Happy At Having to Go Back to Office to Work from 28 Sept