Jul 20, 2009

13,000 hired by public sector

THE public sector has hired more than 13,000 people in the first five months of this year.

This is almost three-quarters of the 18,000 jobs in ministries, statutory boards and other agencies that it planned to fill in the next two years.

The jobs went to school-leavers and mid-career professionals, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is minister in charge of the civil service, said.

Those recruited included 7,485 officers to work in ministries - mostly in Defence, Education and Home Affairs - and in statutory boards.

Another 3,869 filled jobs in the restructured hospitals; there were 1,438 recruited by universities; and 291 who were employed as kindergarten teachers.

'We expect the total number recruited to continue to increase in the coming months as government agencies are still actively recruiting,' said Mr Teo.

There are still vacancies in the education and health care sectors, as well as in the Home Team and Defence Ministry.

He was giving an update on Monday on the recruitment drive by the public sector - Singapore's largest employer. It employs about 110,000 people, or about 4 per cent of the total labour force here.

Mr Teo assured Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) - who asked for an update on the numbers - that the vast majority of the jobs went to Singapore citizens or permanent residents.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah GRC) said some residents in their 40s and 50s had told him that they had difficulty getting jobs as the public sector wanted younger people.

- The Straits Times

No comments:

Post a Comment