Slowing economy but government can create good jobs for Singaporeans

[metalslug]

Slowing economy but government can create good jobs for Singaporeans
By Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 August 2008 1817 hrs

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Singaporean office workers read newspapers during a lunch break at the financial district of Raffles Place.


SINGAPORE: Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong has said that barring unforeseen circumstances, the government is confident of creating good jobs for Singaporeans.

This is despite clear signs that the Singapore economy is grinding towards a slowdown.

Mr Gan was speaking at a National Day mini parade at the Sembawang housing estate on Friday.

He said the economic outlook this National Day is less certain compared to last year's. But he noted that Singapore has had a few years of good growth and that it is in a strong position to address the challenges ahead.

As to whether the slowing economy may translate into job cuts, the minister said it will vary from sector to sector. Construction looks good, but some within the services sector may be hit.

He said as the economy continues to restructure, employers and employees have to brace themselves.

Mr Gan said: "What is important is for employers, on the one hand, to be mindful that wage increases, built-in wages increases, should be in line with (and) should not exceed productivity growth.

"But at the same time, from the employees' point of view, they should continue to upgrade themselves, re-skill themselves."

At a dialogue session - which is part of the community visit - residents raised a range of issues including the integration of foreign talents, pro-family policies and the Youth Olympic Games.

- CNA/ir

 

[ccl69]

remember which ministry say that we cannot always depend on government to provide for us??? if dont depend on them then who else???our neighbour country huh..

 

[leongszehian]

Seeing Stars: Uniquely Singapore - Progress
Monday, 11 August 2008, 8:15 am | 333 views
Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer

In this special series of Uniquely Singapore, Leong Sze Hian takes a look at the 5 stars of our flag and how it relates to certain issues. This first article focuses on “Progress”.

I refer to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) report, “Focus on older people in and out of employment”, released at the end of July.

67 per cent of older workers (age 50 and over) worked as production, cleaners, labourers and related workers.

According to the MOM’s Report on Wages in Singapore 2007, the lowest paid category of workers, was the group comprising cleaners, labourers and related workers, with a median gross pay of $ 968.

The annualised wage change for this group was zero, from 1997 to 2007.

In the case of cleaners, labourers and related workers, the wages were largely flat in the earlier age groups, before declining for those in their 40s onwards to a low of 0.63 for the 60 - 64 age group.

Since the median gross pay for this group was only $ 968, does it mean that older workers are paid even less ?

The gender wage difference was 30.8 per cent for the age 35 - 39 group.

Does this gender wage gap occur for the older age group too ?

So, how much less are elderly women workers paid ?

With 469,000 employed residents age 50 and over being employed in June 2007, it means that about 314,230 (67% of 469,000) elderly Singaporeans work as production, cleaners, labourers and related workers.

And since elderly workers constitute 26 per cent of the resident workforce, it means that about 17 out of 100 (314,230 divided by 314,230 divided by 0.26) workers are elderly production, cleaners, labourers and related workers.

If we include such workers who are younger than 50, how many Singaporeans are cleaners, labourers and related workers, who earn a median gross pay of only $ 968 ?

The long term unemployment rate for older workers at 0.9 per cent is about double that of younger workers, at 0.4 - 0.7 per cent.

27 and 10 per cent of older workers are self-employed and part-time workers, respectively, compared to 4 and 4.8 per cent respectively for younger workers.

66 per cent of older workers cited their reason for working as needing money for current expenses. 12 per cent worked for their future financial security, and only 16.3 per cent worked for non-monetary reasons.

In June 2006, 76 per cent of economically inactive residents mainly relied on income support from family members.

In the MOM’s second quarter employment report released at the end of July, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for residents increased by 54 per cent from 2.6 in March to 4.0 in June, compared to 1.8 to 2.9 for the overall (including foreigners) unemployment rate.

The above statistics may indicate an urgent need to address the plight of older Singaporean workers ; for a review of policies to reverse these alarming trends, particularly in the light of calls not to increase wages to cope with inflation because of the fear of wage-inflationary pressures, relative to productivity growth.

Glowing and repeated reports of good job growth and economic growth may mask some of the underlying issues that older Singaporeans face.

Finally, if residents comprise 69 per cent of the total number of employed, why is it that 95 per cent of the unemployed are residents ?

If we make an adjustment for permanent residents (PRs) in the residents statistics, what percentage of the unemployed are Singaporeans ?

 

[suteerak1099]

wat kinda jobs can the jobless expect from the relevant authorities? the answer is clear n obvious... jobs that barely make ends meet. n they'd throw u the classic "to have a job is better than none".

they forgot to factor in costs incurred; transportation & food.

 

[High Command]

wat kinda jobs can the jobless expect from the relevant authorities? the answer is clear n obvious... jobs that barely make ends meet. n they'd throw u the classic "to have a job is better than none".

they forgot to factor in costs incurred; transportation & food.

Let me that a shot at this. Toilet cleaners and trash collector.

 

[pia]

Let me that a shot at this. Toilet cleaners and trash collector.

They'll come out with figures of jobs created, but blame S'poreans for not willing to get their hands dirty (for low level jobs) and not making the mark (for high level jobs). Both levels, of course, then land on FT territory.

 

[High Command]

They'll come out with figures of jobs created, but blame S'poreans for not willing to get their hands dirty (for low level jobs) and not making the mark (for high level jobs). Both levels, of course, then land on FT territory.

Well maybe we will see an increase in crime soon.

 

[chinkangkor]

Crimes by the elderly? Seems like it is happening in japan right now.

 

[chinkangkor]

Seeing Stars: Uniquely Singapore - Progress
Monday, 11 August 2008, 8:15 am | 333 views
Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer

In the MOM’s second quarter employment report released at the end of July, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for residents increased by 54 per cent from 2.6 in March to 4.0 in June, compared to 1.8 to 2.9 for the overall (including foreigners) unemployment rate.

If you include the thousands and thousands of foreigners coming here on social passes looking for jobs, I think the overall unemployment rate and the unemployment rate for non-residents will be much higher.

 

[tonychat]

They'll come out with figures of jobs created, but blame S'poreans for not willing to get their hands dirty (for low level jobs) and not making the mark (for high level jobs). Both levels, of course, then land on FT territory.

I dunno but i thought that a first world economy will have first world jobs for most people with first world education.

So you mean they didn't tell you what jobs is that and just say number of jobs?

 

[chinkangkor]

Slowing economy but government can create good jobs for Singaporeans
By Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 August 2008 1817 hrs

Mr Gan said: "What is important is for employers, on the one hand, to be mindful that wage increases, built-in wages increases, should be in line with (and) should not exceed productivity growth.

- CNA/ir

What happen to the flexible wage policy? The wage increase can be put into variable wage and if the company isn't doing well during a slow down, it can cut this component of the wages.

The productivity growth figure is a crude statistic anyway and each company should judge for itself rather than a blanket ban on wage increment.

 

[pia]

I dunno but i thought that a first world economy will have first world jobs for most people with first world education.

So you mean they didn't tell you what jobs is that and just say number of jobs?

Have been listening so much to this broken record.. they'll tell you yes, there were jobs created, and yes, they'll tell you too why you're not getting them.