Singapore's labour movement said tackling the issue of under-employed workers will be a big challenge in the coming year.
It said under-employment is becoming more pertinent among older Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians also known as (PMETs).
And efforts must be put in place to help them get jobs suited to their skills and qualifications.
PMETs were the hardest hit during the economic downturn. Many, like those in the financial sector, were left jobless and the labour movement said they had to settle for whatever job they could get to make ends meet.
But while this brings down unemployment levels, the issue of under-employment has been on the uptrend.
Halimah Yacob, Deputy Secretary-General, NTUC, said: "He may be very qualified, very skilled, but the jobs that he wants to do and is willing to do is not available. H
“He ends up doing a job that does not make full capacity, productive use of his capabilities. It also involves the case where jobs are not paying them the kind of salary or earning that they feel is commensurate with their qualifications and skills."
Madam Halimah said she's seen many cases where middle-aged degree-holders who lost jobs during the downturn become taxi drivers.
She said such under-employment is unavoidable as with slow economic growth, job opportunities are limited.
But as the economy recovers, the labour movement will offer targeted help to under-employed workers.
Mdm Halimah said: "We recognise that the person cannot remain underemployed in perpetuity because that is going to be very frustrating and demoralising. That is where we then need to focus help to help him to transit so that he can make better use of his skills and capabilities to move to other sectors and to retrain them and move to other sectors that require their skills and qualifications.
“Of course it may not be easy because some of them may be working in one sector for so many years. So a re-tuning is needed to acquire other skills to move to other sectors."
The labour movement will work on job-matching assistance and training courses and Madam Halimah said workers must also actively find out more about job opportunities relevant to them.
- Channel News Asia
Dec 29, 2009
Hotel staff lured by thrill of IRs
A mini exodus of sorts is taking place in the hospitality industry as experienced staff quit to take up positions in the two upcoming integrated resorts (IRs).
It is understood that five front-end service staff from a boutique hotel in the Central Business District resigned in one day to take up jobs at either Marina Bay Sands or Resorts World Sentosa.
The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel in Havelock Road said it has had about 10 operational staff leave for the IRs.
A spokesman said this was a low number compared with other hotels. She added that the hotel has since found replacements.
A spokesman for The Fullerton Hotel Singapore said several of its staff joined the IRs but the vacated positions were quickly filled.
Many hotels The Sunday Times contacted did not want to comment on this issue, but those in the human resource industry said the movements have been significant.
Mr Josh Goh, assistant director of corporate services of The GMP Group, said hospitality and wellness industry staff, particularly those who are experienced, have been poached by the IRs or by other hotels.
Mr Edmund Seng, managing partner of human resource company HRM3, said his company has seen more hotel clients asking for help to fill vacancies this year.
'Not only will the IRs need people with hotel experience, they'll need people with start-up experience. It's natural that they'll turn to the hotel industry for labour,' he said.
Ms Shirley Chua, manager of Adecco's events and exhibitions division, said many job-seekers do not even talk about the money when applying for positions in the IRs.
'What they are interested in is being part of such a significant project and to be part of the pioneering team that shapes the future of IRs in Singapore,' she said.
Mr Robin Goh, assistant director of communications for Resorts World Sentosa, said the resort has staff from a wide variety of industries, including tourism, entertainment, hospitality, retail, fashion and food and beverage.
A Marina Bay Sands spokesman said that although experience helps in most rank-and-file positions, more important are a good attitude, the passion to serve, enthusiasm and integrity.
He added: 'We are reaching out to a wide pool of candidates, including fresh graduates from tertiary institutions, job applicants who are crossing over from other service-related sectors, as well as existing hospitality staff.'
Some hotels are taking measures to retain their staff.
Mr Leslie Chua, the manager of boutique hotel Berjaya Singapore in Duxton Road which has only 21 employees, said he has offered an annual increment and a year-end bonus despite the weak economy.
'I'd rather reward them and keep them with us,' he said. 'I keep a good relationship with my staff to give them a sense of belonging and teamwork.'
- The Straits Times
It is understood that five front-end service staff from a boutique hotel in the Central Business District resigned in one day to take up jobs at either Marina Bay Sands or Resorts World Sentosa.
The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel in Havelock Road said it has had about 10 operational staff leave for the IRs.
A spokesman said this was a low number compared with other hotels. She added that the hotel has since found replacements.
A spokesman for The Fullerton Hotel Singapore said several of its staff joined the IRs but the vacated positions were quickly filled.
Many hotels The Sunday Times contacted did not want to comment on this issue, but those in the human resource industry said the movements have been significant.
Mr Josh Goh, assistant director of corporate services of The GMP Group, said hospitality and wellness industry staff, particularly those who are experienced, have been poached by the IRs or by other hotels.
Mr Edmund Seng, managing partner of human resource company HRM3, said his company has seen more hotel clients asking for help to fill vacancies this year.
'Not only will the IRs need people with hotel experience, they'll need people with start-up experience. It's natural that they'll turn to the hotel industry for labour,' he said.
Ms Shirley Chua, manager of Adecco's events and exhibitions division, said many job-seekers do not even talk about the money when applying for positions in the IRs.
'What they are interested in is being part of such a significant project and to be part of the pioneering team that shapes the future of IRs in Singapore,' she said.
Mr Robin Goh, assistant director of communications for Resorts World Sentosa, said the resort has staff from a wide variety of industries, including tourism, entertainment, hospitality, retail, fashion and food and beverage.
A Marina Bay Sands spokesman said that although experience helps in most rank-and-file positions, more important are a good attitude, the passion to serve, enthusiasm and integrity.
He added: 'We are reaching out to a wide pool of candidates, including fresh graduates from tertiary institutions, job applicants who are crossing over from other service-related sectors, as well as existing hospitality staff.'
Some hotels are taking measures to retain their staff.
Mr Leslie Chua, the manager of boutique hotel Berjaya Singapore in Duxton Road which has only 21 employees, said he has offered an annual increment and a year-end bonus despite the weak economy.
'I'd rather reward them and keep them with us,' he said. 'I keep a good relationship with my staff to give them a sense of belonging and teamwork.'
- The Straits Times
Wanted: Women, older workers
THE labour movement will focus on roping in more women and older workers to increase the size of the workforce next year, said labour chief Lim Swee Say.
The movement also aims to increase productivity by helping companies to improve their processes, he added.
These actions will help the workforce take advantage of an upturn next year, he said.
He was outlining next year's plans and summing up the labour movement's efforts in the past year yesterday.
The movement has been successful at staving off record retrenchment and unemployment this year, he said.
Mr Lim, who is the secretary general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), added that after a year of defensive play on the job front, the new year will mark the beginning of an offensive campaign.
This means that the tripartite partners - comprising the Government, employers and unions - will strive to build a 'cheaper, better and faster' economy, by helping companies improve their productivity rates, capabilities and flexibility.
NTUC wants to nurse employment levels here back to a full-employment rate - where fewer than 3 per cent of working adults are jobless.
It also wants to go beyond that by encouraging a large pool of people, who are not in the job market currently, to re-enter or join the workforce.
The way to do so would be by re-training them, rather than by creating new jobs, said Mr Lim.
'We hope that re-employment in Singapore can be further increased, structural employment can be further reduced and, more importantly, under-employment among the middle-aged PMETs (professional, managers, executives and technicians) can be further avoided, through retraining and reskilling,' he said.
The number of these potential job entrants stands at an estimated 162,400, Mr Lim said.
About a third of them are first-timers to the job market; the remaining 116,000 have some job experience. Among them are 19,800 degree-holding women.
'Many of them are very employable, so the challenge lies in how we reach out to them and match them (to jobs),' Mr Lim said.
The Employment & Employability Institute (e2i), NTUC's one-stop job-matching and training centre, will step up efforts to train and match jobs to this group, he added.
The unemployment rate for the third quarter of this year is 5 per cent. About 20,000 people were retrenched this year, of whom about 95 per cent were from the manufacturing sector.
But despite a steeper drop in gross domestic product this year, significantly fewer workers were retrenched compared to the previous two downturns in 1998 and 2001, NTUC and e2i pointed out yesterday.
Up to last month, e2i has helped find jobs for 16,000 jobseekers. This comes up to three in five of its trainees, the same rate as last year.
Another 8,000 have been trained or are undergoing training, but are still jobless; the remaining 3,000 sought help from other agencies later.
e2i also helped 180 companies upgrade the skills of 33,000 workers through the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience.
NTUC has done well against the international benchmark, largely because of its strengthened tripartism ties during the crisis, said its deputy secretary- general, Madam Halimah Yacob, citing an International Labour Organisation report.
- mypaper
The movement also aims to increase productivity by helping companies to improve their processes, he added.
These actions will help the workforce take advantage of an upturn next year, he said.
He was outlining next year's plans and summing up the labour movement's efforts in the past year yesterday.
The movement has been successful at staving off record retrenchment and unemployment this year, he said.
Mr Lim, who is the secretary general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), added that after a year of defensive play on the job front, the new year will mark the beginning of an offensive campaign.
This means that the tripartite partners - comprising the Government, employers and unions - will strive to build a 'cheaper, better and faster' economy, by helping companies improve their productivity rates, capabilities and flexibility.
NTUC wants to nurse employment levels here back to a full-employment rate - where fewer than 3 per cent of working adults are jobless.
It also wants to go beyond that by encouraging a large pool of people, who are not in the job market currently, to re-enter or join the workforce.
The way to do so would be by re-training them, rather than by creating new jobs, said Mr Lim.
'We hope that re-employment in Singapore can be further increased, structural employment can be further reduced and, more importantly, under-employment among the middle-aged PMETs (professional, managers, executives and technicians) can be further avoided, through retraining and reskilling,' he said.
The number of these potential job entrants stands at an estimated 162,400, Mr Lim said.
About a third of them are first-timers to the job market; the remaining 116,000 have some job experience. Among them are 19,800 degree-holding women.
'Many of them are very employable, so the challenge lies in how we reach out to them and match them (to jobs),' Mr Lim said.
The Employment & Employability Institute (e2i), NTUC's one-stop job-matching and training centre, will step up efforts to train and match jobs to this group, he added.
The unemployment rate for the third quarter of this year is 5 per cent. About 20,000 people were retrenched this year, of whom about 95 per cent were from the manufacturing sector.
But despite a steeper drop in gross domestic product this year, significantly fewer workers were retrenched compared to the previous two downturns in 1998 and 2001, NTUC and e2i pointed out yesterday.
Up to last month, e2i has helped find jobs for 16,000 jobseekers. This comes up to three in five of its trainees, the same rate as last year.
Another 8,000 have been trained or are undergoing training, but are still jobless; the remaining 3,000 sought help from other agencies later.
e2i also helped 180 companies upgrade the skills of 33,000 workers through the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience.
NTUC has done well against the international benchmark, largely because of its strengthened tripartism ties during the crisis, said its deputy secretary- general, Madam Halimah Yacob, citing an International Labour Organisation report.
- mypaper
Dec 27, 2009
More openings in financial services sector in Q3
Job vacancies in the financial services sector soared to 1,100 by the end of September - the highest so far this year and only 100 places shy of the September 2008 figure.
Hiring sentiment in the sector continued to improve in the third quarter, as in the overall labour market, according to the preliminary report released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday that breaks down job vacancies by industry.
Job vacancies at banks and other financial institutions worst hit by last year's global financial crisis fell to a low of 600 at the end of Q1. But an accelerating recovery in hiring saw the number of openings rise to 800 by June and 1,100 by the end of Q3.
The posts most actively recruited for in the financial sector are bank officers, financial analysts and administrative analysts, the statistics show. And the sector's job vacancy rate - the number of vacancies as a proportion of total employee demand - was 1.1 per cent in September, which compares to 1.3 per cent in September 2008, before the worst of the financial crisis struck.
Although hiring sentiment and job vacancies are improving, actual labour market recovery tends to lag that of the wider economy.
The Q3 labour market survey released this month showed a slight rise in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 3.4 per cent, from 3.3 per cent in the first two quarters.
Among residents, the Q3 unemployment rate hit a five-year high of 5 per cent.
For job-seekers, the good news is that, as at September, the number of available jobs had risen to 34,900. Of these, 25,900 spots came from the services sector. Manufacturing job vacancies also rose - to 5,600 from 3,900 in June and a low of 1,900 in March.
The ratio of job vacancies to the number of unemployed also rose in Q3 to 0.52, from about 0.3 in the first two quarters. But this was still some way off from September 2008's 0.8 ratio.
Hotels and restaurants posted a significant jump in vacancies to 3,000 by September from 1,300 in June, surpassing the 2,700 jobs on offer in September 2008.
Reflecting the government's move to raise its teacher recruitment target and campaign to recruit mid-career professionals into teaching this year, there were 2,760 teaching vacancies at end-September - the largest number for any single occupation.
The report also showed there were 1,390 openings for private security guards - the occupation with the second largest number of vacancies.
The government has been promoting the availability of jobs in that sector too, customising a Spur-Jobs scheme to improve working conditions and professionalise the security industry.
More private security posts are expected to need filling in coming years as malls, the integrated resorts (IRs) and the Youth Olympic Games are rolled out.
These developments, along with recovering consumer sentiment, are also reflected in the large number of vacancies for shop sales assistants and waiters - at more than 1,000 each.
- The Business Times
Hiring sentiment in the sector continued to improve in the third quarter, as in the overall labour market, according to the preliminary report released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday that breaks down job vacancies by industry.
Job vacancies at banks and other financial institutions worst hit by last year's global financial crisis fell to a low of 600 at the end of Q1. But an accelerating recovery in hiring saw the number of openings rise to 800 by June and 1,100 by the end of Q3.
The posts most actively recruited for in the financial sector are bank officers, financial analysts and administrative analysts, the statistics show. And the sector's job vacancy rate - the number of vacancies as a proportion of total employee demand - was 1.1 per cent in September, which compares to 1.3 per cent in September 2008, before the worst of the financial crisis struck.
Although hiring sentiment and job vacancies are improving, actual labour market recovery tends to lag that of the wider economy.
The Q3 labour market survey released this month showed a slight rise in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 3.4 per cent, from 3.3 per cent in the first two quarters.
Among residents, the Q3 unemployment rate hit a five-year high of 5 per cent.
For job-seekers, the good news is that, as at September, the number of available jobs had risen to 34,900. Of these, 25,900 spots came from the services sector. Manufacturing job vacancies also rose - to 5,600 from 3,900 in June and a low of 1,900 in March.
The ratio of job vacancies to the number of unemployed also rose in Q3 to 0.52, from about 0.3 in the first two quarters. But this was still some way off from September 2008's 0.8 ratio.
Hotels and restaurants posted a significant jump in vacancies to 3,000 by September from 1,300 in June, surpassing the 2,700 jobs on offer in September 2008.
Reflecting the government's move to raise its teacher recruitment target and campaign to recruit mid-career professionals into teaching this year, there were 2,760 teaching vacancies at end-September - the largest number for any single occupation.
The report also showed there were 1,390 openings for private security guards - the occupation with the second largest number of vacancies.
The government has been promoting the availability of jobs in that sector too, customising a Spur-Jobs scheme to improve working conditions and professionalise the security industry.
More private security posts are expected to need filling in coming years as malls, the integrated resorts (IRs) and the Youth Olympic Games are rolled out.
These developments, along with recovering consumer sentiment, are also reflected in the large number of vacancies for shop sales assistants and waiters - at more than 1,000 each.
- The Business Times
Dec 23, 2009
MOM figures show hiring demand up, with services leading the way
Latest figures from the Manpower Ministry showed that hiring is definitely on an upward trend.
Taking the lead was the service industries, with 26,000 openings in the third quarter. That is 30 per cent higher compared to the previous three months.
With the integrated resorts opening next year and new malls popping up on Orchard Road, demand for retail and hospitality staff is high.
As of September, there were 1,200 openings for shop assistants and close to 1,400 vacancies for waiters and cooks.
Dhirendra Shantilal, senior vice president, Asia Pacific, Kelly Services, said: "Because of the festive seasons that we have right now - for Christmas and Chinese New Year - we see a lot of contract work coming on for the retail space. This will adjust itself after Chinese New Year."
The construction industry is also in need of close to 3,000 workers, including 780 labourers.
Construction and retail sales are two areas that normally have difficulty attracting Singaporeans. Recruiters said the impact of the recession has softened the resistance some Singaporeans have against retail jobs. But whether this will hold up as the economy continues to improve remains a big question mark.
Hiring in the financial services sector has also been picking up pace and recruiters are seeing "significant" recovery across sales, risk management and IT positions within the sector.
Roger Olofsson, associate director, Information Technology, Robert Walters, said: "A lot of organisations are getting headcounts approved and gearing up with sentiments and confidence for the new year. And they want to be up to staff levels that they potentially had in place before the crisis happened."
"We're actually seeing Q4 at the moment. It's busier this year than any Q4 we've experienced so far in the last 10, 11 years that we've operated in that market."
And with the government ramping up hiring of teachers and early childhood educators, there are 2,750 openings for teaching professionals. Of these, 2,320 openings require at least a polytechnic diploma.
Openings in the manufacturing sector also point to a steady recovery. As of September, there were 5,600 positions available, up from nearly 3,900 as of June.
- Channel NewsAsia
Taking the lead was the service industries, with 26,000 openings in the third quarter. That is 30 per cent higher compared to the previous three months.
With the integrated resorts opening next year and new malls popping up on Orchard Road, demand for retail and hospitality staff is high.
As of September, there were 1,200 openings for shop assistants and close to 1,400 vacancies for waiters and cooks.
Dhirendra Shantilal, senior vice president, Asia Pacific, Kelly Services, said: "Because of the festive seasons that we have right now - for Christmas and Chinese New Year - we see a lot of contract work coming on for the retail space. This will adjust itself after Chinese New Year."
The construction industry is also in need of close to 3,000 workers, including 780 labourers.
Construction and retail sales are two areas that normally have difficulty attracting Singaporeans. Recruiters said the impact of the recession has softened the resistance some Singaporeans have against retail jobs. But whether this will hold up as the economy continues to improve remains a big question mark.
Hiring in the financial services sector has also been picking up pace and recruiters are seeing "significant" recovery across sales, risk management and IT positions within the sector.
Roger Olofsson, associate director, Information Technology, Robert Walters, said: "A lot of organisations are getting headcounts approved and gearing up with sentiments and confidence for the new year. And they want to be up to staff levels that they potentially had in place before the crisis happened."
"We're actually seeing Q4 at the moment. It's busier this year than any Q4 we've experienced so far in the last 10, 11 years that we've operated in that market."
And with the government ramping up hiring of teachers and early childhood educators, there are 2,750 openings for teaching professionals. Of these, 2,320 openings require at least a polytechnic diploma.
Openings in the manufacturing sector also point to a steady recovery. As of September, there were 5,600 positions available, up from nearly 3,900 as of June.
- Channel NewsAsia
Dec 22, 2009
'Recovery will take a while'
Even though the Republic's economy is on the mend, it would be a while before employment picks up again, according to Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong.
Speaking to MediaCorp on the labour market outlook next year, Mr Gan said many employers had retained "excess workers" during the recession because of the various Government measures, including the Jobs Credit Scheme.
Said Mr Gan: "Many of these employers will tap on the excess manpower and capacity that they have before they start to expand and recruit new workers."
Moreover, employment opportunities typically lag behind economic recovery. "Over the next 12 months, we expect the employment market to remain more or less stable, but we do not see a massive recovery of the employment market," said Mr Gan.
He reiterated the importance of retraining affected workers "as it will take some time for them to get back to the job market" - many of the post-economic recovery job opportunities would require new skill sets.
Apart from retraining, workers' expectations also need to be adjusted. Despite having about 20,000 jobs "immediately available" on the database for 14,000 job-seekers, not all the workers could be matched to a job.
Said Mr Gan: "We have done much better in this recession than in the previous one because we have paid a lot of attention to helping the workers prepare themselves for employment rather than just simply job matching."
On their part, the tripartite partners - namely the unions, employers and the Government - were "already looking beyond Jobs Credit ... (to) asking ourselves how we can be cheaper, better and faster", said labour chief Lim Swee Say, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
Said Mr Lim: "Being cheaper means enhancing our productivity so that every piece of equipment and worker can produce more output, so that we can reduce the costs of doing business and enhance our competitiveness."
More than just raising workers' productivity, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Member of Parliament Liang Eng Hwa called for a more resilient economy which practises "smart growth" by being "careful where our bottlenecks and constraints are ... (and) play on our niches".
"I have spoken to many business people and they have told me that they prefer to have a more steady growth... Excessive volatility tends to attract a risk premium to the business and thereby increasing overall costs," said Mr Liang, who is the deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (Finance and Trade and Industry).
- TODAY newspaper
Speaking to MediaCorp on the labour market outlook next year, Mr Gan said many employers had retained "excess workers" during the recession because of the various Government measures, including the Jobs Credit Scheme.
Said Mr Gan: "Many of these employers will tap on the excess manpower and capacity that they have before they start to expand and recruit new workers."
Moreover, employment opportunities typically lag behind economic recovery. "Over the next 12 months, we expect the employment market to remain more or less stable, but we do not see a massive recovery of the employment market," said Mr Gan.
He reiterated the importance of retraining affected workers "as it will take some time for them to get back to the job market" - many of the post-economic recovery job opportunities would require new skill sets.
Apart from retraining, workers' expectations also need to be adjusted. Despite having about 20,000 jobs "immediately available" on the database for 14,000 job-seekers, not all the workers could be matched to a job.
Said Mr Gan: "We have done much better in this recession than in the previous one because we have paid a lot of attention to helping the workers prepare themselves for employment rather than just simply job matching."
On their part, the tripartite partners - namely the unions, employers and the Government - were "already looking beyond Jobs Credit ... (to) asking ourselves how we can be cheaper, better and faster", said labour chief Lim Swee Say, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
Said Mr Lim: "Being cheaper means enhancing our productivity so that every piece of equipment and worker can produce more output, so that we can reduce the costs of doing business and enhance our competitiveness."
More than just raising workers' productivity, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Member of Parliament Liang Eng Hwa called for a more resilient economy which practises "smart growth" by being "careful where our bottlenecks and constraints are ... (and) play on our niches".
"I have spoken to many business people and they have told me that they prefer to have a more steady growth... Excessive volatility tends to attract a risk premium to the business and thereby increasing overall costs," said Mr Liang, who is the deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (Finance and Trade and Industry).
- TODAY newspaper
42,000 workers have found jobs after Spur training
A year after the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur) was launched, more than 260,000 workers have come on board. Of these, about one-third have been trained.
Giving an update on the initiative - launched in response to the onset of the recession - Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong told MediaCorp that out of the retrained workers, who were mainly from the hotel, food and beverage, and retail sectors, 42,000 have found jobs.
The programme, which will run until December next year, was well-received by small and medium enterprises.
Some 80 per cent of the 4,000 companies that have tapped on Spur employ fewer than 200 workers.
So far, $350 million or half of the Spur budget have been committed to help companies retrain workers.
Still, Mr Gan was concerned that the economic recovery meant some companies were scaling back on training.
The number of workers signing up had fallen from 30,000 in July to 20,000 in November - "partly because the economy is recovering and some companies need their workers on their shop floor", said Mr Gan, who stressed that it was not the time to "slow down on training".
- TODAY newspaper
Giving an update on the initiative - launched in response to the onset of the recession - Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong told MediaCorp that out of the retrained workers, who were mainly from the hotel, food and beverage, and retail sectors, 42,000 have found jobs.
The programme, which will run until December next year, was well-received by small and medium enterprises.
Some 80 per cent of the 4,000 companies that have tapped on Spur employ fewer than 200 workers.
So far, $350 million or half of the Spur budget have been committed to help companies retrain workers.
Still, Mr Gan was concerned that the economic recovery meant some companies were scaling back on training.
The number of workers signing up had fallen from 30,000 in July to 20,000 in November - "partly because the economy is recovering and some companies need their workers on their shop floor", said Mr Gan, who stressed that it was not the time to "slow down on training".
- TODAY newspaper
Why you should embrace that contract
For many workers the data may be unnerving. Instead of an increase in permanent employment, what's actually rising is contract employment.
The latest Singapore Workforce report from the Ministry of Manpower showed that nearly 13 per cent of resident employees are on term contracts. On top of this, the percentage of part-timers in the resident workforce rose from 6.8 per cent last year to 8.4 per cent this year. With such a high proportion of employees currently in contract and part-time positions - and with the percentages rising - the very nature of employment has changed substantially.
Comments by staffing firms seem to bear out this trend. With companies looking to employ more flexible workforces, "contracting is fast becoming a popular staffing solution in Singapore", according to recruitment firm Robert Walters. Similarly, staffing company Kelly Services notes that "demand for temporary and contract workers continues to rise as flexible working becomes a way of life in many companies".
For many in Singapore, this increase in contract and part-time work may come as a surprise. For years, living the good life has meant a permanent position in a large company. Even though many workers plan to change jobs every couple of years, and even though redundancies increased among supposedly permanent employees this past year, many workers still prefer - and assume they'll have - what is called a permanent position.
Some see the insurance, vacation and healthcare benefits for permanent employees as the real advantage, while others worry about being the first person to be laid off should hard times hit after they take up a contract position.
Yet the reality is that the job market is changing and more companies are hiring more contract staff. Some companies hire contract workers to increase flexibility; others need specialised staff for fixed periods; and still others hire contract staff to get around headcount freezes. For many it's part of a longer-term strategy rather than just a result of the economic downturn, and the trend seems likely to continue even as the economy improves.
Many employees view the changes with trepidation. Yet there can be big upsides to contract work, too, and workers who embrace the change can be at the head of the pack.
Even as it sees the shift happening, Kelly Services, for example, says that "temporary staff are becoming an integral part of business and the best can expect rich rewards". At higher levels there are changes too. Says Robert Walters: "We also anticipate that more professionals will become open to contract roles as the perceived job security of permanent roles lessens."
While some people may feel less secure if they accept a contract position, workers who take advantage of the shift - especially early in their working life, but sometimes later as well - may actually benefit in the long run. Some contract staff have found that they can get better experience, more flexibility, more control over their career, longer breaks and even higher pay in a contract position.
As one person interviewed by ZDNet said about having done IT-related contract work for several years: "At the end of day, I am better off than others. I know systems better than others. People working in one place for ages don't know what's out there."
R Ravindran of the Singapore Institute of Management found virtually the same thing - that contract work "provides opportunity to experience many different industries and many different corporate cultures" - and said as much in an article as far back as 2005. Further, he said, "contract positions tend to pay better than similar permanent positions".
And as Andrea Ross from Robert Walters put it: "Professionals on contract can get back into the workplace much more quickly. Candidates are also attracted by the opportunity to broaden their experience by working in different functions across a business."
While taking a contract position may at first seem risky, the actual results can be better than expected. More experience, more flexibility and higher pay can be quite positive. Very importantly, though, accepting contract work will require a change in how we view jobs.
For those who are open-minded and embrace the change, the upsides of the trend toward contracts can bring great benefits.
- TODAY newspaper
The latest Singapore Workforce report from the Ministry of Manpower showed that nearly 13 per cent of resident employees are on term contracts. On top of this, the percentage of part-timers in the resident workforce rose from 6.8 per cent last year to 8.4 per cent this year. With such a high proportion of employees currently in contract and part-time positions - and with the percentages rising - the very nature of employment has changed substantially.
Comments by staffing firms seem to bear out this trend. With companies looking to employ more flexible workforces, "contracting is fast becoming a popular staffing solution in Singapore", according to recruitment firm Robert Walters. Similarly, staffing company Kelly Services notes that "demand for temporary and contract workers continues to rise as flexible working becomes a way of life in many companies".
For many in Singapore, this increase in contract and part-time work may come as a surprise. For years, living the good life has meant a permanent position in a large company. Even though many workers plan to change jobs every couple of years, and even though redundancies increased among supposedly permanent employees this past year, many workers still prefer - and assume they'll have - what is called a permanent position.
Some see the insurance, vacation and healthcare benefits for permanent employees as the real advantage, while others worry about being the first person to be laid off should hard times hit after they take up a contract position.
Yet the reality is that the job market is changing and more companies are hiring more contract staff. Some companies hire contract workers to increase flexibility; others need specialised staff for fixed periods; and still others hire contract staff to get around headcount freezes. For many it's part of a longer-term strategy rather than just a result of the economic downturn, and the trend seems likely to continue even as the economy improves.
Many employees view the changes with trepidation. Yet there can be big upsides to contract work, too, and workers who embrace the change can be at the head of the pack.
Even as it sees the shift happening, Kelly Services, for example, says that "temporary staff are becoming an integral part of business and the best can expect rich rewards". At higher levels there are changes too. Says Robert Walters: "We also anticipate that more professionals will become open to contract roles as the perceived job security of permanent roles lessens."
While some people may feel less secure if they accept a contract position, workers who take advantage of the shift - especially early in their working life, but sometimes later as well - may actually benefit in the long run. Some contract staff have found that they can get better experience, more flexibility, more control over their career, longer breaks and even higher pay in a contract position.
As one person interviewed by ZDNet said about having done IT-related contract work for several years: "At the end of day, I am better off than others. I know systems better than others. People working in one place for ages don't know what's out there."
R Ravindran of the Singapore Institute of Management found virtually the same thing - that contract work "provides opportunity to experience many different industries and many different corporate cultures" - and said as much in an article as far back as 2005. Further, he said, "contract positions tend to pay better than similar permanent positions".
And as Andrea Ross from Robert Walters put it: "Professionals on contract can get back into the workplace much more quickly. Candidates are also attracted by the opportunity to broaden their experience by working in different functions across a business."
While taking a contract position may at first seem risky, the actual results can be better than expected. More experience, more flexibility and higher pay can be quite positive. Very importantly, though, accepting contract work will require a change in how we view jobs.
For those who are open-minded and embrace the change, the upsides of the trend toward contracts can bring great benefits.
- TODAY newspaper
Dec 21, 2009
Some Sands job seekers in a quandary
THEY were hired in July to work at the Marina Bay Sands casino. But the year is ending and some recruits have yet to be trained for their jobs as dealers and croupiers.
A few are jobless as well - they quit their previous jobs expecting the casino training to start in October. They say they were told by Sands to leave their jobs and be ready to be called up for training.
The training was to last three months, during which they would be paid. The basic pay for a trainee dealer is $1,500 a month; the pay is $1,800 for those working full-time.
At least 20 employees are grousing online about being left in the lurch. The Straits Times spoke to seven, who declined to be named for fear of jeopardising their jobs.
They admitted that their letters of appointment had not specified a starting date, but all claimed they had been told verbally that training was likely to begin in October.
A man in his 30s, hired as a dealer, said: 'I was told to send in my resignation early if I needed to serve three months' notice.'
But since stopping work in September, he is still waiting for the call to start training. He is living on his savings.
In the same boat is a 23-year-old who graduated from university in April. She said: 'I cannot even take up proper part-time work as I don't dare to commit to the minimum two or three months required.'
The lack of word from their new employer raises questions about when the integrated resort will open. It was initially slated to open at the end of this year, but the opening has been pushed back to some time in the first quarter, end-March at the latest, because of construction woes and labour shortages.
With no sign of their training beginning, the integrated resort's new staff are wondering exactly when it will open.
When contacted, a Marina Bay Sands spokesman confirmed that training had not begun and declined to say how many people had been hired. Sands has previously said some 4,500 workers are required in the casino.
Asked if there had been a verbal agreement on the training date, the spokesman would only say: 'We have issued employment agreements to successful applicants, with the mutual agreement that the starting date for training depends on the opening date of our property.
'As we continue to make good progress on our SkyPark and overall construction, we look to set a training commencement date at the earliest possible time.'
A copy of an employment agreement obtained by The Straits Times states: 'I understand that my work commencement date will be communicated to me on a later date subject to the opening date of Marina Bay Sands.'
Other employees hired later in the year said they were told they would be given a month's notice on the start of training.
Said a 22-year-old hired in November: 'It is already December, and the training is to take three months. If they are to give us one month's notice, we will not make it in time for March.'
Member of Parliament Charles Chong, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, said even though they had only verbal agreements, it was not fair to keep people guessing as to when they would start work.
It is especially bad for those who need the income to support their families, he added. 'How long can you keep people waiting?'
In contrast to the dilemma faced by Marina Bay Sands employees, employment contracts for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), the other integrated resort, clearly spell out work and training start dates.
Some 600 dealers have already been trained at the parent company's other casinos in the Philippines and Malaysia. The training started in August.
Several hundred are also being trained in Singapore, RWS spokesman Robin Goh said, adding that the resort is on track for a soft opening early in the new year.
Industry experts say employees have to be trained to be licensed to work in a casino. And without trained employees, a licence to operate a casino cannot be issued. Both casinos applied for their licences in October.
When asked, the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) declined to comment on whether either had been awarded yet. But its spokesman said: 'The casino operators are required under Section 81(1)(c) of the Casino Control Act to provide the CRA with a certification of the applicant's competency to perform the specific special employee function(s) before CRA approves the special employee licence.'
- The Straits Times
A few are jobless as well - they quit their previous jobs expecting the casino training to start in October. They say they were told by Sands to leave their jobs and be ready to be called up for training.
The training was to last three months, during which they would be paid. The basic pay for a trainee dealer is $1,500 a month; the pay is $1,800 for those working full-time.
At least 20 employees are grousing online about being left in the lurch. The Straits Times spoke to seven, who declined to be named for fear of jeopardising their jobs.
They admitted that their letters of appointment had not specified a starting date, but all claimed they had been told verbally that training was likely to begin in October.
A man in his 30s, hired as a dealer, said: 'I was told to send in my resignation early if I needed to serve three months' notice.'
But since stopping work in September, he is still waiting for the call to start training. He is living on his savings.
In the same boat is a 23-year-old who graduated from university in April. She said: 'I cannot even take up proper part-time work as I don't dare to commit to the minimum two or three months required.'
The lack of word from their new employer raises questions about when the integrated resort will open. It was initially slated to open at the end of this year, but the opening has been pushed back to some time in the first quarter, end-March at the latest, because of construction woes and labour shortages.
With no sign of their training beginning, the integrated resort's new staff are wondering exactly when it will open.
When contacted, a Marina Bay Sands spokesman confirmed that training had not begun and declined to say how many people had been hired. Sands has previously said some 4,500 workers are required in the casino.
Asked if there had been a verbal agreement on the training date, the spokesman would only say: 'We have issued employment agreements to successful applicants, with the mutual agreement that the starting date for training depends on the opening date of our property.
'As we continue to make good progress on our SkyPark and overall construction, we look to set a training commencement date at the earliest possible time.'
A copy of an employment agreement obtained by The Straits Times states: 'I understand that my work commencement date will be communicated to me on a later date subject to the opening date of Marina Bay Sands.'
Other employees hired later in the year said they were told they would be given a month's notice on the start of training.
Said a 22-year-old hired in November: 'It is already December, and the training is to take three months. If they are to give us one month's notice, we will not make it in time for March.'
Member of Parliament Charles Chong, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, said even though they had only verbal agreements, it was not fair to keep people guessing as to when they would start work.
It is especially bad for those who need the income to support their families, he added. 'How long can you keep people waiting?'
In contrast to the dilemma faced by Marina Bay Sands employees, employment contracts for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), the other integrated resort, clearly spell out work and training start dates.
Some 600 dealers have already been trained at the parent company's other casinos in the Philippines and Malaysia. The training started in August.
Several hundred are also being trained in Singapore, RWS spokesman Robin Goh said, adding that the resort is on track for a soft opening early in the new year.
Industry experts say employees have to be trained to be licensed to work in a casino. And without trained employees, a licence to operate a casino cannot be issued. Both casinos applied for their licences in October.
When asked, the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) declined to comment on whether either had been awarded yet. But its spokesman said: 'The casino operators are required under Section 81(1)(c) of the Casino Control Act to provide the CRA with a certification of the applicant's competency to perform the specific special employee function(s) before CRA approves the special employee licence.'
- The Straits Times
Dec 19, 2009
DBS chief's mantra: Do everything
THE newly installed DBS Group Holdings' chief executive, Mr Piyush Gupta, was in a reflective mood during one of his first public appearances as head of South-east Asia's largest bank yesterday.
As he ruminated on his widely varied banking career, he hinted that DBS staff might expect to be assigned a wider range of roles under his leadership.
Speaking to a group of students, he warned of the limitations of aspiring bankers aiming only for glamorous front office jobs.
To illustrate, he spoke of his professional journey and offered personal insights into banking as a career.
'As a general rule, when I hire, I want people to have the capacity to do a lot of different things,' he told tertiary students in a packed auditorium at Singapore Management University. 'I hire people for (a long-term) career, not for jobs.'
Mr Gupta, 49, a veteran Citibanker appointed as DBS CEO last month, said young people wanting to work at banks often confine themselves to the more glamorous front office roles such as investment banking and corporate finance.
They eschew back office operations, such as accounting and payroll, thinking these roles may be less interesting.
However, this is the wrong mentality, stressed the Indian-born banker, a permanent resident here who has applied for Singapore citizenship.
He said that when he first graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, he was given a back office role within Citi and wound up in technology and operations for four years.
Rather than despair, he found plenty of opportunities to learn in those roles.
'Working in operations and technology, you learn how things actually work. To me, the experience was invaluable.'
He also recalled that he had worked at a small Citi branch at Kolkata during the early stages of his career and had to juggle all sorts of roles - from sitting at the teller counter to calling corporate clients.
'It doesn't sound sexy, but the ability to allow you to connect the dots is invaluable,' he said.
Mr Gupta, who has dabbled in a wide range of roles, from transaction banking to corporate and consumer banking, praised firms where employees are given the chance to move around within their organisation.
'I've had 21 different roles in 28 years,' said Mr Gupta, who spent 27 years at Citi before leaving for DBS.
'In my previous company, you could move anywhere you want. So in my current company, I hope that is something I can institute.'
He was part of a panel comprising high-powered financial executives including ANZ Singapore's chief executive Bill Foo and OCBC Bank's head of global treasury Lam Kun Kin.
Lion Global Investors chief executive Daniel Chan, a panel member, said a humble attitude is very important for those entering the fund management business.
'If somebody comes and says, 'I've got this degree or training and know it all', that is a dangerous starting point.'
When hiring analysts and fund managers, Mr Chan looks for candidates with a healthy dose of scepticism and a questioning mind, clear thinking, an ability to work with numbers - and the art of good communication.
'A lot of people don't communicate well or express their ideas clearly. A lot don't write well either.'
- The Straits Times
As he ruminated on his widely varied banking career, he hinted that DBS staff might expect to be assigned a wider range of roles under his leadership.
Speaking to a group of students, he warned of the limitations of aspiring bankers aiming only for glamorous front office jobs.
To illustrate, he spoke of his professional journey and offered personal insights into banking as a career.
'As a general rule, when I hire, I want people to have the capacity to do a lot of different things,' he told tertiary students in a packed auditorium at Singapore Management University. 'I hire people for (a long-term) career, not for jobs.'
Mr Gupta, 49, a veteran Citibanker appointed as DBS CEO last month, said young people wanting to work at banks often confine themselves to the more glamorous front office roles such as investment banking and corporate finance.
They eschew back office operations, such as accounting and payroll, thinking these roles may be less interesting.
However, this is the wrong mentality, stressed the Indian-born banker, a permanent resident here who has applied for Singapore citizenship.
He said that when he first graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, he was given a back office role within Citi and wound up in technology and operations for four years.
Rather than despair, he found plenty of opportunities to learn in those roles.
'Working in operations and technology, you learn how things actually work. To me, the experience was invaluable.'
He also recalled that he had worked at a small Citi branch at Kolkata during the early stages of his career and had to juggle all sorts of roles - from sitting at the teller counter to calling corporate clients.
'It doesn't sound sexy, but the ability to allow you to connect the dots is invaluable,' he said.
Mr Gupta, who has dabbled in a wide range of roles, from transaction banking to corporate and consumer banking, praised firms where employees are given the chance to move around within their organisation.
'I've had 21 different roles in 28 years,' said Mr Gupta, who spent 27 years at Citi before leaving for DBS.
'In my previous company, you could move anywhere you want. So in my current company, I hope that is something I can institute.'
He was part of a panel comprising high-powered financial executives including ANZ Singapore's chief executive Bill Foo and OCBC Bank's head of global treasury Lam Kun Kin.
Lion Global Investors chief executive Daniel Chan, a panel member, said a humble attitude is very important for those entering the fund management business.
'If somebody comes and says, 'I've got this degree or training and know it all', that is a dangerous starting point.'
When hiring analysts and fund managers, Mr Chan looks for candidates with a healthy dose of scepticism and a questioning mind, clear thinking, an ability to work with numbers - and the art of good communication.
'A lot of people don't communicate well or express their ideas clearly. A lot don't write well either.'
- The Straits Times
Dec 16, 2009
Grads dealt harder job blow
Despite signs of a turnaround in the job market, university graduates are no better off.
In fact, more of them are without jobs and taking longer to land a job, according to revised official figures released yesterday.
Part of the reason is that they often tend to seek jobs that pay close to what they used to earn, said MP Josephine Teo, who is also assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress.
However, economists interviewed foresee their lot improving in the new year, when growth is expected to hit 5.5 per cent, according to a recent poll of 20 private-sector economists by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Meanwhile, the labour market in the third quarter, following Singapore’s exit from recession, shows “encouraging signs of a turnaround”, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The revised figures show more jobs were added, fewer people were laid off and there were more vacancies between June and September.
In all, employment grew by 14,000, offsetting the 13,900 jobs lost in the first half of this year. Still, the resident unemployment rate among Singaporeans and permanent residents hit 5 per cent, a five-year high.
Also, more residents, regardless of their education level, are taking beyond six months to get a job.
Known technically as the long-term unemployed, their numbers have doubled, from 9,600 in the third quarter last year to 18,400 in September this year.
Worst off are university graduates. Their numbers have swelled from 1,600 to 4,700, which works out to one in four of these unemployeds.
It is the same story in other areas.
Degree-holders form more than one-third of workers made redundant, either retrenched or released prematurely from their contracts. They form 36 per cent of the 2,470 workers made redundant, although they make up only 27 per cent of Singapore’s workforce of two million.
It is a similar situation with the re-hiring of laid-off residents. Though this re employment rate rose for workers at all educational levels, the rate for graduates remains the lowest, at 44.4 per cent.
It was the same case in the second quarter, when it was 39.3 per cent.
Teo said graduates tend to hold jobs, such as supervisors, which are the first to be chopped in a downturn.
She also said retrenched graduates typically take longer to find jobs because they have savings to fall back on and look for work that pays almost as much as their previous job.
Graduate Chris Lim seems to fit the mould. The 31-year-old has been jobless since she quit her marketing job in a bank in June last year. She had wanted a similar job in the service industry but the economic crisis has made it tough.
Said the business administration graduate: “I’ve had a few job offers but I rejected them because they weren’t suitable. I’m not super desperate because I have some savings.”
She is working part-time as a receptionist and is hopeful because headhunters are calling her more often now.
MOM, in its statement, said organisations and jobseekers should not be discouraged by the slight rise in the unemployment rate to 3.4 per cent, from 3.3 per cent in the first two quarters. It also pointed out the 5 per cent resident unemployment rate is below the record 6.2 per cent in 2003 during the Sars outbreak.
Economists say the peculiar situation of jobs growth coupled with high unemployment is a result of more residents entering the job market as the economy improves.
Singapore, which came out of recession at the end of June, grew by 14.2 per cent in the third quarter,
Also, the rise in the unemployment rate could be due to a mismatch between skills and jobs.
Economist Tan Khee Giap expects the resident jobless rate to fall by next June.
But there is a need to shorten the time the jobless take to find work, he added.
Heather Chua of hiring firm Kelly Services noted that 50 per cent of residents retrenched in the second quarter found work in the third quarter.
“This is a strong indication more companies are positioning themselves to prepare for the nascent recovery,” she said.
However, MOM’s Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan, noted that the unemployment rate is likely to stay up for some time as employers remain cautious about the pace and sustainability of recovery.
He said: “The Government remains focused on job creation and training, while those who are unemployed are encouraged to retrain and re-skill so that they can find a job as quickly as possible.”
— The Straits Times
In fact, more of them are without jobs and taking longer to land a job, according to revised official figures released yesterday.
Part of the reason is that they often tend to seek jobs that pay close to what they used to earn, said MP Josephine Teo, who is also assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress.
However, economists interviewed foresee their lot improving in the new year, when growth is expected to hit 5.5 per cent, according to a recent poll of 20 private-sector economists by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Meanwhile, the labour market in the third quarter, following Singapore’s exit from recession, shows “encouraging signs of a turnaround”, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The revised figures show more jobs were added, fewer people were laid off and there were more vacancies between June and September.
In all, employment grew by 14,000, offsetting the 13,900 jobs lost in the first half of this year. Still, the resident unemployment rate among Singaporeans and permanent residents hit 5 per cent, a five-year high.
Also, more residents, regardless of their education level, are taking beyond six months to get a job.
Known technically as the long-term unemployed, their numbers have doubled, from 9,600 in the third quarter last year to 18,400 in September this year.
Worst off are university graduates. Their numbers have swelled from 1,600 to 4,700, which works out to one in four of these unemployeds.
It is the same story in other areas.
Degree-holders form more than one-third of workers made redundant, either retrenched or released prematurely from their contracts. They form 36 per cent of the 2,470 workers made redundant, although they make up only 27 per cent of Singapore’s workforce of two million.
It is a similar situation with the re-hiring of laid-off residents. Though this re employment rate rose for workers at all educational levels, the rate for graduates remains the lowest, at 44.4 per cent.
It was the same case in the second quarter, when it was 39.3 per cent.
Teo said graduates tend to hold jobs, such as supervisors, which are the first to be chopped in a downturn.
She also said retrenched graduates typically take longer to find jobs because they have savings to fall back on and look for work that pays almost as much as their previous job.
Graduate Chris Lim seems to fit the mould. The 31-year-old has been jobless since she quit her marketing job in a bank in June last year. She had wanted a similar job in the service industry but the economic crisis has made it tough.
Said the business administration graduate: “I’ve had a few job offers but I rejected them because they weren’t suitable. I’m not super desperate because I have some savings.”
She is working part-time as a receptionist and is hopeful because headhunters are calling her more often now.
MOM, in its statement, said organisations and jobseekers should not be discouraged by the slight rise in the unemployment rate to 3.4 per cent, from 3.3 per cent in the first two quarters. It also pointed out the 5 per cent resident unemployment rate is below the record 6.2 per cent in 2003 during the Sars outbreak.
Economists say the peculiar situation of jobs growth coupled with high unemployment is a result of more residents entering the job market as the economy improves.
Singapore, which came out of recession at the end of June, grew by 14.2 per cent in the third quarter,
Also, the rise in the unemployment rate could be due to a mismatch between skills and jobs.
Economist Tan Khee Giap expects the resident jobless rate to fall by next June.
But there is a need to shorten the time the jobless take to find work, he added.
Heather Chua of hiring firm Kelly Services noted that 50 per cent of residents retrenched in the second quarter found work in the third quarter.
“This is a strong indication more companies are positioning themselves to prepare for the nascent recovery,” she said.
However, MOM’s Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan, noted that the unemployment rate is likely to stay up for some time as employers remain cautious about the pace and sustainability of recovery.
He said: “The Government remains focused on job creation and training, while those who are unemployed are encouraged to retrain and re-skill so that they can find a job as quickly as possible.”
— The Straits Times
Vacancies up; still, a note of caution
It is a strong indicator that the job market is showing a turnaround.
But even as the Manpower Ministry confirmed employment growth in the third quarter, Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan made caution the watchword.
"The unemployment rate is likely to stay up for some time, as employers remain cautious about the pace and sustainability of recovery," he said yesterday.
The question is: Will workers take note, given that total employment grew by 14,000 between July and September, enough to offset declines in the previous two quarters?
Job vacancies, too, were up 42 per cent from June to 34,900, only slightly below September 2007's figure. And the employment outlook for the fourth quarter moved further into positive territory, with a net weighted balance of 16 per cent of services firms expecting to increase headcount.
Last week, recruitment agency Manpower Inc's employment outlook survey showed that just over one in four employers here were looking to hire in the first quarter next year. And already, Singapore National Employers Federation executive director Koh Juan Kiat has noted that more workers have quit their jobs to take up better offers.
In these times, companies, too, are not as focussed as before on retraining, as one employer specialising in electronic goods admitted.
But apart from growth within the hospitality sector - on account of the integrated resorts opening early next year - CIMB-GK Research regional economist Song Seng Wun believes most employers will practice "selective hiring" as "it's not a broad-based recovery just yet".
And unionist G Muthu Kumar does not think many Singaporeans are aware more jobs are available, as many still think the job market is tight.
Some fresh entrants to the job hunt have not had it easy, either. Said Diyana Lubis, 21: "Job hunting is tough, especially in the design sector which I am looking at. Every interview I go for, it seems employers would rather hire me as an intern and pay me $200 than offer a full package."
Among residents who had been retrenched in the second quarter, half were re-employed within a quarter - an improvement from the record low of 43 per cent in the previous quarter, but still below the 62 per cent recorded a year ago.
Long-term unemployment doubled from 9,600 in September last year to 18,400.
- TODAY newspaper
But even as the Manpower Ministry confirmed employment growth in the third quarter, Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan made caution the watchword.
"The unemployment rate is likely to stay up for some time, as employers remain cautious about the pace and sustainability of recovery," he said yesterday.
The question is: Will workers take note, given that total employment grew by 14,000 between July and September, enough to offset declines in the previous two quarters?
Job vacancies, too, were up 42 per cent from June to 34,900, only slightly below September 2007's figure. And the employment outlook for the fourth quarter moved further into positive territory, with a net weighted balance of 16 per cent of services firms expecting to increase headcount.
Last week, recruitment agency Manpower Inc's employment outlook survey showed that just over one in four employers here were looking to hire in the first quarter next year. And already, Singapore National Employers Federation executive director Koh Juan Kiat has noted that more workers have quit their jobs to take up better offers.
In these times, companies, too, are not as focussed as before on retraining, as one employer specialising in electronic goods admitted.
But apart from growth within the hospitality sector - on account of the integrated resorts opening early next year - CIMB-GK Research regional economist Song Seng Wun believes most employers will practice "selective hiring" as "it's not a broad-based recovery just yet".
And unionist G Muthu Kumar does not think many Singaporeans are aware more jobs are available, as many still think the job market is tight.
Some fresh entrants to the job hunt have not had it easy, either. Said Diyana Lubis, 21: "Job hunting is tough, especially in the design sector which I am looking at. Every interview I go for, it seems employers would rather hire me as an intern and pay me $200 than offer a full package."
Among residents who had been retrenched in the second quarter, half were re-employed within a quarter - an improvement from the record low of 43 per cent in the previous quarter, but still below the 62 per cent recorded a year ago.
Long-term unemployment doubled from 9,600 in September last year to 18,400.
- TODAY newspaper
Dec 14, 2009
Jobless rate to stay up
DESPITE the encouraging signs of turnaround in the Singapore's job market, the unemployment rate is likely to stay up for some time, said Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan on Tuesday.
The third quarter labour market report released by the Ministry of Manpower on Tuesday showed that overall employment expanded by 14,000 in the third quarter, reversing the losses from the preceding two quarters.
Significantly fewer workers were made redundant and job vacancies were up for the second straight quarter.
Commenting on the report, Mr Lee said: 'Although the economic outlook has improved and total employment grew in the third quarter, the unemployment rate is likely to stay up for some time as employers remain cautious about the pace and sustainability of recovery.'
'The Government remains focused on job creation and training, while those who are unemployed are encouraged to retrain and re-skill so that they can find a job as quickly as possible.'
- The Straits Times
The third quarter labour market report released by the Ministry of Manpower on Tuesday showed that overall employment expanded by 14,000 in the third quarter, reversing the losses from the preceding two quarters.
Significantly fewer workers were made redundant and job vacancies were up for the second straight quarter.
Commenting on the report, Mr Lee said: 'Although the economic outlook has improved and total employment grew in the third quarter, the unemployment rate is likely to stay up for some time as employers remain cautious about the pace and sustainability of recovery.'
'The Government remains focused on job creation and training, while those who are unemployed are encouraged to retrain and re-skill so that they can find a job as quickly as possible.'
- The Straits Times
Q3 job vacancies up 46%
SINGAPORE'S labour market is showing encouraging signs of a turnaround, reflecting the improving economic climate.
Total employment grew by 14,000 in the third quarter, offsetting the losses in the earlier two quarters, which saw jobs growing by 6,200 in Q1 and 7,700 in Q2. The improvement in the job situation led to total employment in September recovering to around the level in December last year, said the Ministry of Manpower in a statement on Tuesday.
Service jobs grew by 12,700, significantly higher than the gains of 3,800 in the second quarter, while construction, which added 7,400 jobs, expanded at a faster pace than in the previous quarter. But manufacturing shed 6,400 workers for the fourth consecutive quarter, although the losses were substantially lower than in the first two quarters.
The seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.4 per cent in September from 3.3 per cent in June. Among the resident labour force, the jobless rate climbed to 5 per cent in Q3 or 83,800, after a decline from 4.8 per cent in March to 4.6 per cent in June, when some residents then had deferred their job search and pursued courses amid the difficult job market. The seasonally adjusted figure was 100,300, higher than 91,500 in Jun 09.
MOM added that long-term unemployment has worsened, as it takes longer for job seekers to find jobs amid cautious hiring sentiments during the downturn. The number of resident job seekers who had been looking for work for at least 25 weeks almost doubled from 9,600 from a year ago to 18,400 in September, with the share of resident job seekers rising from 17 per cent to 22 per cent.
They formed 0.9 per cent of the resident labour force compared with 0.5 per cent a year ago, but remained below the highs registered in the same period of 2003 (1.6 per cent) and 2002 (1.4 per cent).
- The Straits Times
Total employment grew by 14,000 in the third quarter, offsetting the losses in the earlier two quarters, which saw jobs growing by 6,200 in Q1 and 7,700 in Q2. The improvement in the job situation led to total employment in September recovering to around the level in December last year, said the Ministry of Manpower in a statement on Tuesday.
Service jobs grew by 12,700, significantly higher than the gains of 3,800 in the second quarter, while construction, which added 7,400 jobs, expanded at a faster pace than in the previous quarter. But manufacturing shed 6,400 workers for the fourth consecutive quarter, although the losses were substantially lower than in the first two quarters.
The seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.4 per cent in September from 3.3 per cent in June. Among the resident labour force, the jobless rate climbed to 5 per cent in Q3 or 83,800, after a decline from 4.8 per cent in March to 4.6 per cent in June, when some residents then had deferred their job search and pursued courses amid the difficult job market. The seasonally adjusted figure was 100,300, higher than 91,500 in Jun 09.
MOM added that long-term unemployment has worsened, as it takes longer for job seekers to find jobs amid cautious hiring sentiments during the downturn. The number of resident job seekers who had been looking for work for at least 25 weeks almost doubled from 9,600 from a year ago to 18,400 in September, with the share of resident job seekers rising from 17 per cent to 22 per cent.
They formed 0.9 per cent of the resident labour force compared with 0.5 per cent a year ago, but remained below the highs registered in the same period of 2003 (1.6 per cent) and 2002 (1.4 per cent).
- The Straits Times
Singapore firms using social media to step up job recruitment efforts
Most people use social media to connect with their friends and some Singapore companies are now using it as a recruitment tool.
Online marketing agency Oasis Interactive uses social media to reach out to its customers. Now, it is turning to social media to attract job seekers.
Earlier this year, it placed an online advertisement asking job seekers to apply through LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking website.
Jason Low, director, Oasis Interactive, said: "The quantity of resumes have been relatively smaller. But in terms of the quality, it's very good because they're more relevant and more earnest in their job applications.
"The resumes that we're getting is not just (from) Singapore or Malaysia. They actually expand to Australia and United States as well. We have corporate accounts in Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Delicious.
"It's natural for us to think that our potential staff would be savvy enough to look for us in these business social networks."
Oasis Interactive said they also use social media to keep in touch with ex-staff, some of whom have become their clients.
But some industry players remain sceptical that social media is a reliable hiring tool. They said it is more effective for jobs in technology-related sectors or for companies hiring junior to mid-level staff.
They added that it is usually the younger job seekers that are less averse to using technology to help them secure jobs.
Joanne Chue, HR specialist division manager, Robert Walters, said: "It's beyond just looking at the job description. It's about looking at the company's plans for development. It's about understanding the culture, things that you can't see from a website."
Ms Chua also highlighted another danger of using social media to look for jobs.
She said: "Who knows who's reading your profile, it may be the boss you're reporting to that's surfing on LinkedIn and the last thing you want your boss to know is that you're potentially looking out for job opportunities."
Industry players said using social media as a recruitment tool could help companies gather additional information about potential employees. But at the same time, it could also allow their competitors to access information on their hiring habits.
However, the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) said the HR industry still has some way to go before it can fully harness the power of social media as a recruitment tool.
Mr David Ang, executive director of the SHRI, said bigger companies are more likely to use social media as a recruitment tool as small and medium enterprises may not have the time or resources to maintain an online presence.
- Channel News Asia
Online marketing agency Oasis Interactive uses social media to reach out to its customers. Now, it is turning to social media to attract job seekers.
Earlier this year, it placed an online advertisement asking job seekers to apply through LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking website.
Jason Low, director, Oasis Interactive, said: "The quantity of resumes have been relatively smaller. But in terms of the quality, it's very good because they're more relevant and more earnest in their job applications.
"The resumes that we're getting is not just (from) Singapore or Malaysia. They actually expand to Australia and United States as well. We have corporate accounts in Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Delicious.
"It's natural for us to think that our potential staff would be savvy enough to look for us in these business social networks."
Oasis Interactive said they also use social media to keep in touch with ex-staff, some of whom have become their clients.
But some industry players remain sceptical that social media is a reliable hiring tool. They said it is more effective for jobs in technology-related sectors or for companies hiring junior to mid-level staff.
They added that it is usually the younger job seekers that are less averse to using technology to help them secure jobs.
Joanne Chue, HR specialist division manager, Robert Walters, said: "It's beyond just looking at the job description. It's about looking at the company's plans for development. It's about understanding the culture, things that you can't see from a website."
Ms Chua also highlighted another danger of using social media to look for jobs.
She said: "Who knows who's reading your profile, it may be the boss you're reporting to that's surfing on LinkedIn and the last thing you want your boss to know is that you're potentially looking out for job opportunities."
Industry players said using social media as a recruitment tool could help companies gather additional information about potential employees. But at the same time, it could also allow their competitors to access information on their hiring habits.
However, the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) said the HR industry still has some way to go before it can fully harness the power of social media as a recruitment tool.
Mr David Ang, executive director of the SHRI, said bigger companies are more likely to use social media as a recruitment tool as small and medium enterprises may not have the time or resources to maintain an online presence.
- Channel News Asia
Dec 13, 2009
More jobs and better pay likely next year
Upbeat is the word. The outlook on the job and compensation front for Singapore next year looks promising.
More jobs will be available and pay packages will improve marginally, several human resource consultancies report, offering a ray of hope even as they add a few words of caution.
Much of the optimism stems from an improved forecast for the Singapore economy, though bud- get constraints and conservative projections for global economic growth suggest that the recovery, while firm, is still in its early stages.
- The Straits Times
More jobs will be available and pay packages will improve marginally, several human resource consultancies report, offering a ray of hope even as they add a few words of caution.
Much of the optimism stems from an improved forecast for the Singapore economy, though bud- get constraints and conservative projections for global economic growth suggest that the recovery, while firm, is still in its early stages.
- The Straits Times
Dec 7, 2009
Hirings picking up
FIRMS are hiring again, and the new year should bring job prospects that match pre-crisis levels, according to a survey.
The latest employment outlook survey by the Singapore arm of global human resource consultancy Manpower Inc, released on Monday, shows that employers expect a third consecutive quarter of positive hiring, reported The Business Times on Tuesday.
The net employment outlook - the difference between the proportion of bosses likely to recruit more and those likely to cut jobs - rose to 26 per cent. This seasonally adjusted figure was nine percentage points up from Q4's outlook - and a sharp 60-point turnaround from the survey's negative result in Q1 this year.
Back then, Singapore had the worst overall employment outlook among the 35 countries and territories that Manpower surveyed worldwide. But its current outlook for the first quarter of 2010 surpasses all markets but India, said the BT report.
Of 699 employers interviewed across seven industry sectors in October, the majority - 65 per cent - expect to retain their present headcount in Q1 next year, while 27 per cent plan to raise headcount, nine points up from this quarter. But 5 per cent indicate they plan to cut staff strength and 3 per cent are unsure of plans.
Job prospects seem brightest in the finance, insurance and real estate sectors, which has a net employment outlook of 37 per cent. The public administration and education sector expects brisk hiring too, with an overall net outlook of 36 per cent. Services reported a net outlook of 31 per cent, while manufacturing also expect to add headcount, with a net outlook of 20 per cent in the coming quarter.
- The Straits Times
The latest employment outlook survey by the Singapore arm of global human resource consultancy Manpower Inc, released on Monday, shows that employers expect a third consecutive quarter of positive hiring, reported The Business Times on Tuesday.
The net employment outlook - the difference between the proportion of bosses likely to recruit more and those likely to cut jobs - rose to 26 per cent. This seasonally adjusted figure was nine percentage points up from Q4's outlook - and a sharp 60-point turnaround from the survey's negative result in Q1 this year.
Back then, Singapore had the worst overall employment outlook among the 35 countries and territories that Manpower surveyed worldwide. But its current outlook for the first quarter of 2010 surpasses all markets but India, said the BT report.
Of 699 employers interviewed across seven industry sectors in October, the majority - 65 per cent - expect to retain their present headcount in Q1 next year, while 27 per cent plan to raise headcount, nine points up from this quarter. But 5 per cent indicate they plan to cut staff strength and 3 per cent are unsure of plans.
Job prospects seem brightest in the finance, insurance and real estate sectors, which has a net employment outlook of 37 per cent. The public administration and education sector expects brisk hiring too, with an overall net outlook of 36 per cent. Services reported a net outlook of 31 per cent, while manufacturing also expect to add headcount, with a net outlook of 20 per cent in the coming quarter.
- The Straits Times
Dec 6, 2009
Contract work a growing trend
WHEN she completed a one-year contract as a secretary in August, Ms Brenda Ang looked forward to securing a permanent job.
But the 41-year-old had no such luck despite a three-month search. Instead, she will start work tomorrow as a team administrator in a multinational company under a five-month contract.
'I was looking for a permanent job but, under current circumstances, it's very tough, even though the economy's picking up,' she lamented. She lost her permanent job last year when her expatriate boss returned home.
Her situation is not unique. According to a Ministry of Manpower survey whose findings were released last month, the number of term-contract workers rose to 197,200 as of June.
That was a 4.3 per cent jump from the same period last year, and made up 12.7 per cent of the total number of Singaporeans and permanent residents employed.
The duration for most of the jobs was less than three months. Such jobs soared 21 per cent from 72,200 last year to 87,400 this year. In contrast, the number employed on a permanent basis went up by only 0.8 per cent over the same period.
- The Straits Times
But the 41-year-old had no such luck despite a three-month search. Instead, she will start work tomorrow as a team administrator in a multinational company under a five-month contract.
'I was looking for a permanent job but, under current circumstances, it's very tough, even though the economy's picking up,' she lamented. She lost her permanent job last year when her expatriate boss returned home.
Her situation is not unique. According to a Ministry of Manpower survey whose findings were released last month, the number of term-contract workers rose to 197,200 as of June.
That was a 4.3 per cent jump from the same period last year, and made up 12.7 per cent of the total number of Singaporeans and permanent residents employed.
The duration for most of the jobs was less than three months. Such jobs soared 21 per cent from 72,200 last year to 87,400 this year. In contrast, the number employed on a permanent basis went up by only 0.8 per cent over the same period.
- The Straits Times
Dec 4, 2009
300 jobs for mature, empathetic Singaporeans
A SEARCH was launched yesterday for mature, friendly and empathetic Singaporeans to fill more than 300 vacancies in the new hospital in Yishun, the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).
The positions are for housekeeping staff and patient assistants, who will help in the operating theatres, provide financial counselling and transport patients, among other duties.
KTPH, run by public-health group Alexandra Health, will open in phases. Its specialist outpatient clinics will start operating on March 28 next year, followed by the acute and emergency care centre and inpatient wards in September.
It will need about 2,500 staff members. Most of Alexandra Hospital's current 1,700 employees will move over in about nine months' time.
At the recruitment exercise yesterday, staff from the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) - a skills-based institute for jobseekers, employers and training providers initiated by the National Trades Union Congress - screened jobseekers.
They shortlisted some for interviews with Alexandra Health to be held at a job fair, which will be on two weeks later.
Most of the 400 jobseekers who turned up yesterday were aged over 40, and lived in the area.
Those who were deemed not up to the mark yet were referred to attend e2i courses, which will prepare them for the jobs.
The courses are fully subsidised for citizens and permanent residents by the Government and e2i.
The courses, which range from two to five days, will cover communication skills and hygiene habits, among other things.
What is more important is having the right "can do" spirit and the willingness to learn and to promote a healthy lifestyle, said Alexandra Health's chief executive, Mr Liak Teng Lit.
Jobseeker Brenda Tan, 38, a former preschool teacher, decided to apply for a role in serving patients, as the last two years she spent caring for her sickly father after quitting her job helped her realise that "caring for others is immensely rewarding".
The next recruitment exercise for jobs in the hospital will be held in January next year. For more details, call the e2i hotline on 6474-3777.
- mypaper
The positions are for housekeeping staff and patient assistants, who will help in the operating theatres, provide financial counselling and transport patients, among other duties.
KTPH, run by public-health group Alexandra Health, will open in phases. Its specialist outpatient clinics will start operating on March 28 next year, followed by the acute and emergency care centre and inpatient wards in September.
It will need about 2,500 staff members. Most of Alexandra Hospital's current 1,700 employees will move over in about nine months' time.
At the recruitment exercise yesterday, staff from the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) - a skills-based institute for jobseekers, employers and training providers initiated by the National Trades Union Congress - screened jobseekers.
They shortlisted some for interviews with Alexandra Health to be held at a job fair, which will be on two weeks later.
Most of the 400 jobseekers who turned up yesterday were aged over 40, and lived in the area.
Those who were deemed not up to the mark yet were referred to attend e2i courses, which will prepare them for the jobs.
The courses are fully subsidised for citizens and permanent residents by the Government and e2i.
The courses, which range from two to five days, will cover communication skills and hygiene habits, among other things.
What is more important is having the right "can do" spirit and the willingness to learn and to promote a healthy lifestyle, said Alexandra Health's chief executive, Mr Liak Teng Lit.
Jobseeker Brenda Tan, 38, a former preschool teacher, decided to apply for a role in serving patients, as the last two years she spent caring for her sickly father after quitting her job helped her realise that "caring for others is immensely rewarding".
The next recruitment exercise for jobs in the hospital will be held in January next year. For more details, call the e2i hotline on 6474-3777.
- mypaper
Dec 2, 2009
More jobless in June
THE proportion of residents here who are employed fell for the first time in six years, because of the financial crisis.
The proportion of those aged 25 to 64 who had a job fell to 75.8 per cent in June this year, from a peak of 77 per cent a year ago, an annual survey by the Ministry of Manpower found.
This was largely due to job losses suffered by those in the group with the prime working ages of between 25 and 54, the ministry said yesterday.
Despite the downturn, the employment rate of older residents aged between 55 and 64 remained at the record high of 57.2 per cent reached last year. Overall, 5.9 per cent of residents were jobless this June, up from 4 per cent a year ago.
The weak economy also meant that income for those who held down jobs has stayed largely flat this year, after strong gains in the previous two years.
The median monthly income among full-time workers rose slightly by 0.5 per cent to $2,600 in June this year, from $2,590 a year ago. Part-time workers' median income rose from $600 to $620 during the same period.
But that for all employed residents dipped by 1.2 per cent, from $2,450 to $2,420 in the same period, as more people were hired part-time this year, the ministry said.
The number of contract workers grew by 4.3 per cent over a year to reach 197,000 in June this year, continuing a rising trend noted since 2006.
This growth rate exceeded the 0.8 per cent increase in the number of permanent employees in the same period.
This reflected the economic uncertainty, the ministry said.
- mypaper
The proportion of those aged 25 to 64 who had a job fell to 75.8 per cent in June this year, from a peak of 77 per cent a year ago, an annual survey by the Ministry of Manpower found.
This was largely due to job losses suffered by those in the group with the prime working ages of between 25 and 54, the ministry said yesterday.
Despite the downturn, the employment rate of older residents aged between 55 and 64 remained at the record high of 57.2 per cent reached last year. Overall, 5.9 per cent of residents were jobless this June, up from 4 per cent a year ago.
The weak economy also meant that income for those who held down jobs has stayed largely flat this year, after strong gains in the previous two years.
The median monthly income among full-time workers rose slightly by 0.5 per cent to $2,600 in June this year, from $2,590 a year ago. Part-time workers' median income rose from $600 to $620 during the same period.
But that for all employed residents dipped by 1.2 per cent, from $2,450 to $2,420 in the same period, as more people were hired part-time this year, the ministry said.
The number of contract workers grew by 4.3 per cent over a year to reach 197,000 in June this year, continuing a rising trend noted since 2006.
This growth rate exceeded the 0.8 per cent increase in the number of permanent employees in the same period.
This reflected the economic uncertainty, the ministry said.
- mypaper
POSB to hire more older workers to help customers
A PILOT programme to hire and train those aged 45 and above to assist POSB customers, especially seniors, has been so successful that the bank is doubling the number of people on it.
This was announced yesterday at a recognition ceremony for the first batch of 60 participants of the POSB Active Neighbours programme.
It is one of three key initiatives under an agreement between POSB and the Council for Third Age (C3A): hiring elderly workers, providing financial education and giving privileges to seniors.
Some 1,200 applied for the 60 positions offered earlier this year. Successful applicants underwent a three-day training workshop and have been working since July.
The participants, mostly retirees or full-time housewives, work up to 10 hours a week - mostly on Saturdays - for $8 an hour.
Their job includes combing the queues to find out what transactions customers want to perform at POSB branches and directing people with simple transactions to automated machines and assisting them.
They also help elderly customers with transactions, filling in forms and using bank technology like ATMs.
Mr Rajan Raju, the head of DBS Bank's Consumer Banking Group, said the programme had made elderly customers feel more comfortable with dealing with the bank.
He also said that many of the Active Neighbours are so involved with their jobs that they have asked to work longer hours, and that the bank would look into this.
Next year, it will train some of them to conduct some financial literacy workshops for seniors.
Madam Betty Lee, who had 17 years' experience in customer service before her retirement, is among the Active Neighbours.
She works at the bank's Suntec City branch on Saturdays, serving everyone from executives to the mall's cleaners.
Said the 62-year-old: 'I enjoy meeting all these people. All these customers come from all walks of life and their needs are so diversified.'
Speaking at the event yesterday, the guest of honour, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng, noted that Singapore still has some way to go to hit its 2012 target of having 65 per cent of the people in the 55 to 64 age group employed.
Mr Lim, who is in charge of ageing issues, said later that many smaller companies seem to be waiting for new laws, or for others to take the lead, before acting.
But he hoped examples of what companies like POSB have done will encourage other firms.
C3A's chairman, Mr Gerard Ee, said of the bank's initiative: 'It tells people it is okay at 67 to go back to work. It's exciting, it's fun. It tells other employers this is the way to do it as well, that there are people in this age group who can be an important asset.'
Those interested in applying to be Active Neighbours can visit any POSB branch from tomorrow.
Those who applied in the past need not do so again, as the bank will review their applications.
- The Straits Times
This was announced yesterday at a recognition ceremony for the first batch of 60 participants of the POSB Active Neighbours programme.
It is one of three key initiatives under an agreement between POSB and the Council for Third Age (C3A): hiring elderly workers, providing financial education and giving privileges to seniors.
Some 1,200 applied for the 60 positions offered earlier this year. Successful applicants underwent a three-day training workshop and have been working since July.
The participants, mostly retirees or full-time housewives, work up to 10 hours a week - mostly on Saturdays - for $8 an hour.
Their job includes combing the queues to find out what transactions customers want to perform at POSB branches and directing people with simple transactions to automated machines and assisting them.
They also help elderly customers with transactions, filling in forms and using bank technology like ATMs.
Mr Rajan Raju, the head of DBS Bank's Consumer Banking Group, said the programme had made elderly customers feel more comfortable with dealing with the bank.
He also said that many of the Active Neighbours are so involved with their jobs that they have asked to work longer hours, and that the bank would look into this.
Next year, it will train some of them to conduct some financial literacy workshops for seniors.
Madam Betty Lee, who had 17 years' experience in customer service before her retirement, is among the Active Neighbours.
She works at the bank's Suntec City branch on Saturdays, serving everyone from executives to the mall's cleaners.
Said the 62-year-old: 'I enjoy meeting all these people. All these customers come from all walks of life and their needs are so diversified.'
Speaking at the event yesterday, the guest of honour, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng, noted that Singapore still has some way to go to hit its 2012 target of having 65 per cent of the people in the 55 to 64 age group employed.
Mr Lim, who is in charge of ageing issues, said later that many smaller companies seem to be waiting for new laws, or for others to take the lead, before acting.
But he hoped examples of what companies like POSB have done will encourage other firms.
C3A's chairman, Mr Gerard Ee, said of the bank's initiative: 'It tells people it is okay at 67 to go back to work. It's exciting, it's fun. It tells other employers this is the way to do it as well, that there are people in this age group who can be an important asset.'
Those interested in applying to be Active Neighbours can visit any POSB branch from tomorrow.
Those who applied in the past need not do so again, as the bank will review their applications.
- The Straits Times
Nov 29, 2009
More on contract terms
MORE firms are hiring workers on short-term contract as a way to manage their manpower cost.
The ranks of Singapore residents on contract employment has continued to rise, driven by those on short term contracts.
The number on term contracts rose 4.3 per cent to 197,200 in June, faster than the 0.8 rise in permanent employees.
Consequently, the share of resident employees on term contracts rose from 12.4 per cent in 2008 to 12.7 per cent in 2009, continuing the uptrend observed since the data were first collected in 2006, according to the Labour Force Survey conducted in mid-2009 by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department.
'The growth in 2009 was mainly driven by those on short-term contracts of less than three months, including casual and on-call workers, reflecting economic uncertainty,' said the MOM in a statement.
As a result of the weak economy, growth in income from work was largely flat this year, following strong gains in the last two years. The median monthly income among full-timers rose slightly by 0.5 per cent from $2,590 in June last year to $2,600 this year, compared to gains of 11 per cent in 2008 and 7.7 per cent in 2007.
Part-timers also posted higher median income of $620 compared with $600 a year ago. However, the median income for all employed residents dipped by 1.2 per cent from $2,450 in 2008 to $2,420 in 2009, as part-timers' share of employment rose.
- The Straits Times
The ranks of Singapore residents on contract employment has continued to rise, driven by those on short term contracts.
The number on term contracts rose 4.3 per cent to 197,200 in June, faster than the 0.8 rise in permanent employees.
Consequently, the share of resident employees on term contracts rose from 12.4 per cent in 2008 to 12.7 per cent in 2009, continuing the uptrend observed since the data were first collected in 2006, according to the Labour Force Survey conducted in mid-2009 by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department.
'The growth in 2009 was mainly driven by those on short-term contracts of less than three months, including casual and on-call workers, reflecting economic uncertainty,' said the MOM in a statement.
As a result of the weak economy, growth in income from work was largely flat this year, following strong gains in the last two years. The median monthly income among full-timers rose slightly by 0.5 per cent from $2,590 in June last year to $2,600 this year, compared to gains of 11 per cent in 2008 and 7.7 per cent in 2007.
Part-timers also posted higher median income of $620 compared with $600 a year ago. However, the median income for all employed residents dipped by 1.2 per cent from $2,450 in 2008 to $2,420 in 2009, as part-timers' share of employment rose.
- The Straits Times
Record high older workers
DESPITE the economic downturn, older Singapore residents aged 55 to 64 still managed to stay in the labour force at the record high level of 2008 as at June this year.
According to the Labour Force Survey carried out in mid-2009 by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department, 57.2 per cent of them were still working.
The rate for older men, in fact, rose from 73.6 per cent in 2008 to a new high of 74.7 per cent in June, offsetting the slight drop for older women from 40.5 per cent to 40.1 per cent.
The rate for older men in Singapore was also one of the highest internationally,' said the Ministry of Manpower in a statement on Monday.
'On the other hand, the employment rate among females in Singapore generally lagged those in developed countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.'
- The Straits Times
According to the Labour Force Survey carried out in mid-2009 by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department, 57.2 per cent of them were still working.
The rate for older men, in fact, rose from 73.6 per cent in 2008 to a new high of 74.7 per cent in June, offsetting the slight drop for older women from 40.5 per cent to 40.1 per cent.
The rate for older men in Singapore was also one of the highest internationally,' said the Ministry of Manpower in a statement on Monday.
'On the other hand, the employment rate among females in Singapore generally lagged those in developed countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.'
- The Straits Times
5.9% residents jobless
AMID the gloom in the labour market, there is a silver lining.
Although the number of Singapore residents who lost their jobs hit 5.9 per cent in June - on a non-seasonally adjusted basis - older workers were able to stay on in the workforce at the record high level reached in 2008.
There were 116, 300 residents who were unemployed in June, significantly higher than the 4 per cent 76,200 a year ago. The rise was felt across all occupations and industries, according to the Labour Force Survey carried out in mid-2009 by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department, which released the key findings on Monday morning.
But reflecting faster growth in the resident population, the number of resident workers went up by 3 per cent, after a rise of 2.7 per cent in June last year, and 2 per cent in 2007. As at June, there were 1.99 million residents in the labour force comprising 1.13 million (57 per cent men and 0.86 million (43 per cent) women.
The survey also found that among those in employment, the median income stabilised after rising significantly over the preceding two years.
Amid the global recession, the proportion of working residents aged 25 to 64 fell for the first time in six years to 75.8 per cent in June, from the peak of 77 a year ago. This mainly reflected the decline in employment rate for residents in the prime-working age group of 25 to 54 from 81.4 per cent to 80.1 per cent, the survey showed.
'Even though it had decreased, the employment rate for prime-working age men in Singapore remained higher than in many developed and Asian economies,' said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Despite the economic downturn, the employment rate of older residents aged 55 to 64 remained at the record high of 57.2 per cent reached in 2008, said MOM, adding: 'In fact, the rate for older men increased from 73.8 per cent in 2008 to a new high of 74.7 per cent in 2009, offsetting the slight decrease for older women from 40.5 per cent to 40.1 per cent.'
The survey also showed that as employers seek greater flexibility to manage manpower, term contract employment continued to increase, driven by those on short term contracts.
- The Straits Times
Although the number of Singapore residents who lost their jobs hit 5.9 per cent in June - on a non-seasonally adjusted basis - older workers were able to stay on in the workforce at the record high level reached in 2008.
There were 116, 300 residents who were unemployed in June, significantly higher than the 4 per cent 76,200 a year ago. The rise was felt across all occupations and industries, according to the Labour Force Survey carried out in mid-2009 by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department, which released the key findings on Monday morning.
But reflecting faster growth in the resident population, the number of resident workers went up by 3 per cent, after a rise of 2.7 per cent in June last year, and 2 per cent in 2007. As at June, there were 1.99 million residents in the labour force comprising 1.13 million (57 per cent men and 0.86 million (43 per cent) women.
The survey also found that among those in employment, the median income stabilised after rising significantly over the preceding two years.
Amid the global recession, the proportion of working residents aged 25 to 64 fell for the first time in six years to 75.8 per cent in June, from the peak of 77 a year ago. This mainly reflected the decline in employment rate for residents in the prime-working age group of 25 to 54 from 81.4 per cent to 80.1 per cent, the survey showed.
'Even though it had decreased, the employment rate for prime-working age men in Singapore remained higher than in many developed and Asian economies,' said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Despite the economic downturn, the employment rate of older residents aged 55 to 64 remained at the record high of 57.2 per cent reached in 2008, said MOM, adding: 'In fact, the rate for older men increased from 73.8 per cent in 2008 to a new high of 74.7 per cent in 2009, offsetting the slight decrease for older women from 40.5 per cent to 40.1 per cent.'
The survey also showed that as employers seek greater flexibility to manage manpower, term contract employment continued to increase, driven by those on short term contracts.
- The Straits Times
Nov 25, 2009
More jobs next year
THERE are growing signs of a pick-up in hiring but only in certain sectors, such as banking, while manufacturers adopt a wait-and-see attitude.
That is good news for job-seekers, who faced bleak times in the recession, which was recently declared over.
The general consensus among human resource consultancies and some employers is that next year holds significantly better prospects for hiring.
Aside from financial services - one of the sectors hardest hit by the downturn - other sectors with a bright outlook include IT and telecommunications, and aviation.
Human resources consultancy Hudson Singapore's director Karen Kwan cited upbeat data in the firm's latest quarterly forward-looking employer hiring expectations for the current fourth quarter.
For the second straight quarter, the report shows a substantial jump in expectations, with 43 per cent of banking and financial services companies planning to hire more staff. That is up from 32 per cent the previous quarter.
- The Straits Times
That is good news for job-seekers, who faced bleak times in the recession, which was recently declared over.
The general consensus among human resource consultancies and some employers is that next year holds significantly better prospects for hiring.
Aside from financial services - one of the sectors hardest hit by the downturn - other sectors with a bright outlook include IT and telecommunications, and aviation.
Human resources consultancy Hudson Singapore's director Karen Kwan cited upbeat data in the firm's latest quarterly forward-looking employer hiring expectations for the current fourth quarter.
For the second straight quarter, the report shows a substantial jump in expectations, with 43 per cent of banking and financial services companies planning to hire more staff. That is up from 32 per cent the previous quarter.
- The Straits Times
Nov 16, 2009
Keeping older workers a win-win
CONTINUED employment of older workers is a win-win outcome as it means productive deployment of limited manpower resources in Singapore, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Monday.
Explaining why the Government is pressing on with legislative changes to introduce re-employment of older workers by 2012, Mr Gan told a seminar on Monday morning: 'If we can help more older workers stay in the workforce, it will enable them to remain active, earn a regular income, contribute to society, and better prepare for a more comfortable retirement. This will also benefit the companies as they can continue to tap on the experience and expertise of older workers as a valuable resource.'
Mr Gan said by 2020, more than one in three Singapore residents will be 50 years older. At the same time, life expectancy continues to improve: Someone retiring at 62 today can expect to live for another 20 years or more.
Preliminary results from a Ministry of Manpower's comprehensive mid-year labour force survey shows that the employment rate for older residents aged 55 to 64 in Singapore is 57.2 per cent. This is unchanged from 2008, despite the severe recession which saw the overall employment rate for those aged 25 to 64 fall from 77 per cent in 2008 to 75.8 per cent this year.
Mr Gan said initial response and feedback from employers and unions to the tripartite advisory on the reemployment of older workers in April last year has been positive.
An MOM survey done last year showed that more than nine in 10 companies, or 94 per cent, which do not specify a retirement age allow their employees to continue working past the statutory retirement age, while nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of companies which do stipulate a retirement age offer reemployment or allow employees to continue working beyond the statutory retirement age of 62.
- The Straits Times
Explaining why the Government is pressing on with legislative changes to introduce re-employment of older workers by 2012, Mr Gan told a seminar on Monday morning: 'If we can help more older workers stay in the workforce, it will enable them to remain active, earn a regular income, contribute to society, and better prepare for a more comfortable retirement. This will also benefit the companies as they can continue to tap on the experience and expertise of older workers as a valuable resource.'
Mr Gan said by 2020, more than one in three Singapore residents will be 50 years older. At the same time, life expectancy continues to improve: Someone retiring at 62 today can expect to live for another 20 years or more.
Preliminary results from a Ministry of Manpower's comprehensive mid-year labour force survey shows that the employment rate for older residents aged 55 to 64 in Singapore is 57.2 per cent. This is unchanged from 2008, despite the severe recession which saw the overall employment rate for those aged 25 to 64 fall from 77 per cent in 2008 to 75.8 per cent this year.
Mr Gan said initial response and feedback from employers and unions to the tripartite advisory on the reemployment of older workers in April last year has been positive.
An MOM survey done last year showed that more than nine in 10 companies, or 94 per cent, which do not specify a retirement age allow their employees to continue working past the statutory retirement age, while nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of companies which do stipulate a retirement age offer reemployment or allow employees to continue working beyond the statutory retirement age of 62.
- The Straits Times
Nov 4, 2009
Job help for mental patients
JOBSEEKERS with mental illnesses have yet another avenue to get help on finding a job, and keep it.
The Institute of Mental Health's Job Club equips patients with skills, finds them matching jobs and then follows up with them and their employers after.
Since the centre's pilot in April last year, there have been almost 400 job placements. Seventeen of the 93 patients given jobs between April and September last year have managed to stay on for more than a year.
Job Club was officially launched by MP of Jurong GRC and deputy secretary-general of NTUC Halimah Yacob on Wednesday .
She commended the 59 employers registered with the centre and hopes that the number will double next year. She urged employers to give mental patients a chance at integrating back to the society.
- The Straits Times
The Institute of Mental Health's Job Club equips patients with skills, finds them matching jobs and then follows up with them and their employers after.
Since the centre's pilot in April last year, there have been almost 400 job placements. Seventeen of the 93 patients given jobs between April and September last year have managed to stay on for more than a year.
Job Club was officially launched by MP of Jurong GRC and deputy secretary-general of NTUC Halimah Yacob on Wednesday .
She commended the 59 employers registered with the centre and hopes that the number will double next year. She urged employers to give mental patients a chance at integrating back to the society.
- The Straits Times
Roche plant to create 100 jobs
ANOTHER 100 jobs will be on offer here next year at a new US$500 million (S$701 million) biologics plant set up by Swiss drug giant Roche, which officially opened on Tuesday.
The commercial-scale manufacturing plant is one of six being built which will create more than 1,000 jobs in the sector here.
With the six plants on track, Singapore is shaping up to be a fledgling biologics manufacturing hub, having bagged about US$2 billion worth of investments in this field in the last four years.
The 12.6ha plant in Tuas is part of a fast-growing, cutting- edge industry. Biologics is the science of using living cells for direct therapy in the body, or for making drugs such as vaccines and antibiotics.
Roche Singapore Technical Operations, a wholly owned unit of Roche, currently employs 330 highly skilled workers at the plant. Most of them are Singaporeans. The facility is looking to hire another 100 skilled workers such as biotechnologists, quality analysts and manufacturing engineers.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the companies' investment here was a strong endorsement of the foundation that has been laid, using the strengths of both the firms and Singapore.
- The Straits Times
The commercial-scale manufacturing plant is one of six being built which will create more than 1,000 jobs in the sector here.
With the six plants on track, Singapore is shaping up to be a fledgling biologics manufacturing hub, having bagged about US$2 billion worth of investments in this field in the last four years.
The 12.6ha plant in Tuas is part of a fast-growing, cutting- edge industry. Biologics is the science of using living cells for direct therapy in the body, or for making drugs such as vaccines and antibiotics.
Roche Singapore Technical Operations, a wholly owned unit of Roche, currently employs 330 highly skilled workers at the plant. Most of them are Singaporeans. The facility is looking to hire another 100 skilled workers such as biotechnologists, quality analysts and manufacturing engineers.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the companies' investment here was a strong endorsement of the foundation that has been laid, using the strengths of both the firms and Singapore.
- The Straits Times
Nov 2, 2009
1,000 highly skilled jobs
MORE than 1,000 highly skilled jobs will open up when the six biologics plants being implemented are fully operational here, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
These jobs will appeal to both fresh graduates and mid-career professionals from related sectors such as the chemicals, electronics and processing sectors.
'Singaporeans will have the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth sector, at the frontiers of science and technology, manufacturing cutting-edge and globally trusted medicines for patients around the world,' said Mr Tharman at the opening of Roche Singapore manufacturing plant at Tuas Medical Park on Tuesday morning, its first biologics facility in Asia.
Mr Tharman said the increased efficacy of biologics-based treatments will result in a surge in demand for manufacturing capacity in the coming years, and Singapore has built up the key capabilities and resources needed to meet the needs of companies in the industry.
In the last four years, leading companies have invested about US$2 billion to set up six commercial-scale manufacturing plants here.
'This is a strong endorsement of the foundation we have laid for cutting-edge biomedical manufacturing, leveraging on the availability of skilled manpower, bioprocessing capabilities and strong base of engineering services companies,' added the minister.
- The Straits Times
These jobs will appeal to both fresh graduates and mid-career professionals from related sectors such as the chemicals, electronics and processing sectors.
'Singaporeans will have the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth sector, at the frontiers of science and technology, manufacturing cutting-edge and globally trusted medicines for patients around the world,' said Mr Tharman at the opening of Roche Singapore manufacturing plant at Tuas Medical Park on Tuesday morning, its first biologics facility in Asia.
Mr Tharman said the increased efficacy of biologics-based treatments will result in a surge in demand for manufacturing capacity in the coming years, and Singapore has built up the key capabilities and resources needed to meet the needs of companies in the industry.
In the last four years, leading companies have invested about US$2 billion to set up six commercial-scale manufacturing plants here.
'This is a strong endorsement of the foundation we have laid for cutting-edge biomedical manufacturing, leveraging on the availability of skilled manpower, bioprocessing capabilities and strong base of engineering services companies,' added the minister.
- The Straits Times
Job ads going up
NEWSPAPER job advertisements are bouncing back from the lows seen during the worst days of the recession.
According to stockbroking firm UOB Kay Hian, job and classified ads in the The Straits Times have climbed out of recession and are showing growth for the first time in over a year. The turnaround is seen as a further indication that the Singapore economy has turned the corner.
Job ads were up 6 per cent last month with 321 pages compared with 303 in October last year, the company said in its report released on Monday.
This marked a sea change from the situation that prevailed in previous months. Ads almost halved in March and April this year from a year ago and have been running at 20 to 30 per cent below last year's levels.
It was the same story for classified advertisements, which reached 805 pages last month, and were six pages ahead of last October's levels. While the rise represents just a 1 per cent upswing, it is considered significant, given the last four months have seen classifieds down 10 per cent on a year ago.
Total advertising revenue has climbed back to last year's levels, said UOB Kay Hian analyst Nancy Wei. Some 3,830 advertising pages were taken out last month, about equal to the same month last year.
- The Straits Times.
According to stockbroking firm UOB Kay Hian, job and classified ads in the The Straits Times have climbed out of recession and are showing growth for the first time in over a year. The turnaround is seen as a further indication that the Singapore economy has turned the corner.
Job ads were up 6 per cent last month with 321 pages compared with 303 in October last year, the company said in its report released on Monday.
This marked a sea change from the situation that prevailed in previous months. Ads almost halved in March and April this year from a year ago and have been running at 20 to 30 per cent below last year's levels.
It was the same story for classified advertisements, which reached 805 pages last month, and were six pages ahead of last October's levels. While the rise represents just a 1 per cent upswing, it is considered significant, given the last four months have seen classifieds down 10 per cent on a year ago.
Total advertising revenue has climbed back to last year's levels, said UOB Kay Hian analyst Nancy Wei. Some 3,830 advertising pages were taken out last month, about equal to the same month last year.
- The Straits Times.
Oct 31, 2009
Seeking 1,500 medical staff
THE health-care sector is going on a year-end recruitment drive to fill 1,500 positions at two new hospitals by March next year.
Wanted: people from doctors to nurses and occupational therapists.
Some 600 of the jobs are available at the 550-bed Khoo Teck Puat Hospital which opens in Yishun in March next year.
The core team for the new hospital will come from Alexandra Hospital (AH).
Ms Fatimah Moideen Kutty, AH's deputy director of human resource, said part of its recruitment strategy has been to target residents in the north.
In the last two years, it managed to hire about 300 people in Yishun.
- The Straits Times
Wanted: people from doctors to nurses and occupational therapists.
Some 600 of the jobs are available at the 550-bed Khoo Teck Puat Hospital which opens in Yishun in March next year.
The core team for the new hospital will come from Alexandra Hospital (AH).
Ms Fatimah Moideen Kutty, AH's deputy director of human resource, said part of its recruitment strategy has been to target residents in the north.
In the last two years, it managed to hire about 300 people in Yishun.
- The Straits Times
New jobs reverse decline
SINGAPORE'S job market is showing signs of a turnaround on the back of an economy that registered a growth spurt in recent months, employment figures released on Friday confirmed.
Total employment rose faster than expected, according to the Manpower Ministry's preliminary estimates of the jobs situation for July to September.
The 15,400 jobs added between July and September this year actually reverses the 13,900 jobs lost up till June this year.
Pointing to this, Dr Chua Hak Bin, head of Singapore research at Citi, said: 'The jobs recession is over. Losses were far lower compared to past recessions.'
But the ministry pointed to a slight rise in unemployment: Overall unemployment rose to 3.4 per cent from 3.3 per cent in the previous quarter.
Among residents, it was 5 per cent - still below the 6.2 per cent peak six years ago. This means 100,300 citizens and permanent residents were jobless. The previous high was 109,100 in September 2003.
- The Straits Times
Total employment rose faster than expected, according to the Manpower Ministry's preliminary estimates of the jobs situation for July to September.
The 15,400 jobs added between July and September this year actually reverses the 13,900 jobs lost up till June this year.
Pointing to this, Dr Chua Hak Bin, head of Singapore research at Citi, said: 'The jobs recession is over. Losses were far lower compared to past recessions.'
But the ministry pointed to a slight rise in unemployment: Overall unemployment rose to 3.4 per cent from 3.3 per cent in the previous quarter.
Among residents, it was 5 per cent - still below the 6.2 per cent peak six years ago. This means 100,300 citizens and permanent residents were jobless. The previous high was 109,100 in September 2003.
- The Straits Times
Resident unemployment rises to 5%, but not a concern, say analysts
Not only did total employment grow for the first time this year, the 15,400 jobs created - the bulk of them in services - between July and September more than made up for the losses in the first half of the year.
On the redundancy front there was better news too, with the 2,200 workers laid off or released early the lowest number in five quarters.
But, amid the mostly uplifting third-quarter labour figures released on Friday, one statistic cast a pall: Resident unemployment, which rose to 5 per cent from 4.6 per cent, seasonally adjusted.
Not since the Sars outbreak in 2003 saw the figure hit 6.2 per cent has it been so high. In all, 100,300 citizens and permanent residents were estimated to be out of work - a figure analysts attributed to the re-entry of people seeking jobs after completing skills training, or those undergoing training who may have been classified unemployed.
Overall unemployment was 3.4 per cent, up 0.1 per cent from June, according to the Manpower Ministry's preliminary figures.
Structural unemployment could be one factor behind this, said National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob.
But the mismatch of skills, or between training and jobs available, is becoming less of a problem, she believes.
"This issue about people being trained and people not being able to find a job - the process has been refined and there's a lot more linkage between jobs and training," she said, citing schemes to place job-seekers with an employer before training begins.
Higher Q3 figures could also be due to those deliberately leaving their jobs to reconsider longer-term career options, said Mr Tim Hird, managing director of Robert Half Singapore. "Typically, employment rate will lag behind economy recovery for six to nine months before stabilising and picking up."
But experts are already calling for employers to pay closer attention to staff retention and rewards.
In Q3, 13,400 more service staff were employed - a reflection it would seem of prospects ahead, with the central bank on Thursday forecasting that job creation next year in the sector would be supported by the strong push into palliative care and growth in financial services, especially.
Among financial insitutions, demand exists for risk control and management personnel, as well as in business development and sales, said Mr Hird.
Staffing firm Adecco Personnel has seen an "increasing demand" for project managers, and in larger organisations, for business analysts with expertise in corporate planning and budgeting, said branch manager Edlyn Wee.
Childcare, healthcare and security are the other sectors of growth, said Mdm Halimah. The 200 new childcare centres set to open by 2013 will result in a "big scramble" for teachers.
Likewise for healthcare with new hospitals coming up, she added; and, in the current environment of increased vigilance, security employment should also get a boost.
The year ahead for construction may not be as rosy. According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, construction is unlikely to be a key source of job growth in future as major projects such as the integrated resorts near completion.
But the Q3 growth in construction employment is not unusual, as it is an industry that responds with greater time lag, noted Mdm Halimah.
Manufacturing, meanwhile, continued to shed jobs for a fourth straight quarter but at a slower pace, and improved business sentiment particularly in the electronics sector - going by the latest Economic Development Board survey - could be a sign of things to come.
With the upturn and workers beginning to look out for better opportunities, employers are advised to look beyond just filling their ranks to meet demand.
Adecco's Ms Wee said workers have been flexible about contract and temporary positions over the past few quarters, and employers could take them on as full-time staff.
Added Mdm Halimah: "If companies are doing well, they should consider paying workers bonuses for the sacrifices they have made in helping companies to cut costs and remain viable."
- TODAY newspaper
On the redundancy front there was better news too, with the 2,200 workers laid off or released early the lowest number in five quarters.
But, amid the mostly uplifting third-quarter labour figures released on Friday, one statistic cast a pall: Resident unemployment, which rose to 5 per cent from 4.6 per cent, seasonally adjusted.
Not since the Sars outbreak in 2003 saw the figure hit 6.2 per cent has it been so high. In all, 100,300 citizens and permanent residents were estimated to be out of work - a figure analysts attributed to the re-entry of people seeking jobs after completing skills training, or those undergoing training who may have been classified unemployed.
Overall unemployment was 3.4 per cent, up 0.1 per cent from June, according to the Manpower Ministry's preliminary figures.
Structural unemployment could be one factor behind this, said National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob.
But the mismatch of skills, or between training and jobs available, is becoming less of a problem, she believes.
"This issue about people being trained and people not being able to find a job - the process has been refined and there's a lot more linkage between jobs and training," she said, citing schemes to place job-seekers with an employer before training begins.
Higher Q3 figures could also be due to those deliberately leaving their jobs to reconsider longer-term career options, said Mr Tim Hird, managing director of Robert Half Singapore. "Typically, employment rate will lag behind economy recovery for six to nine months before stabilising and picking up."
But experts are already calling for employers to pay closer attention to staff retention and rewards.
In Q3, 13,400 more service staff were employed - a reflection it would seem of prospects ahead, with the central bank on Thursday forecasting that job creation next year in the sector would be supported by the strong push into palliative care and growth in financial services, especially.
Among financial insitutions, demand exists for risk control and management personnel, as well as in business development and sales, said Mr Hird.
Staffing firm Adecco Personnel has seen an "increasing demand" for project managers, and in larger organisations, for business analysts with expertise in corporate planning and budgeting, said branch manager Edlyn Wee.
Childcare, healthcare and security are the other sectors of growth, said Mdm Halimah. The 200 new childcare centres set to open by 2013 will result in a "big scramble" for teachers.
Likewise for healthcare with new hospitals coming up, she added; and, in the current environment of increased vigilance, security employment should also get a boost.
The year ahead for construction may not be as rosy. According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, construction is unlikely to be a key source of job growth in future as major projects such as the integrated resorts near completion.
But the Q3 growth in construction employment is not unusual, as it is an industry that responds with greater time lag, noted Mdm Halimah.
Manufacturing, meanwhile, continued to shed jobs for a fourth straight quarter but at a slower pace, and improved business sentiment particularly in the electronics sector - going by the latest Economic Development Board survey - could be a sign of things to come.
With the upturn and workers beginning to look out for better opportunities, employers are advised to look beyond just filling their ranks to meet demand.
Adecco's Ms Wee said workers have been flexible about contract and temporary positions over the past few quarters, and employers could take them on as full-time staff.
Added Mdm Halimah: "If companies are doing well, they should consider paying workers bonuses for the sacrifices they have made in helping companies to cut costs and remain viable."
- TODAY newspaper
Oct 29, 2009
Singapore's total employment up in Q3 2009
Total employment is estimated to have grown by 15,400 in the third quarter, reflecting Singapore's recovering economy.
This ends losses seen in the first (-6,200) and second (-7,700) quarter of the year. However, the gains are still significantly lower than the 55,700 seen in the third quarter of 2008.
Apart from manufacturing, the major sectors showed growth, according to figures released by the Ministry of Manpower.
Services employment rose by 13,400 in the third quarter, significantly higher than the gains of 7,500 in the first and 3,800 in the second quarter this year, but lower than 34,300 in the third quarter last year.
Construction continued to add workers (8,100), higher than the increase in the preceding quarter (4,700) and comparable to the first quarter of 2009 (8,300).
Manufacturing shed workers for the fourth consecutive quarter, but the decline (-6,600) was substantially lower than in the first two quarters this year.
Figures for retrenchment and redundancy also improved, with an estimated 2,000 workers retrenched and 200 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely.
This is significantly lower than the 5,980 workers made redundant in the second quarter of 2009, comprising 5,170 workers retrenched and 810 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely.
Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.4% in September 2009 from 3.3% in June 2009, while on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the overall unemployment rate decreased from 4.1% in June 2009 to 2.9% in September 2009
This ends losses seen in the first (-6,200) and second (-7,700) quarter of the year. However, the gains are still significantly lower than the 55,700 seen in the third quarter of 2008.
Apart from manufacturing, the major sectors showed growth, according to figures released by the Ministry of Manpower.
Services employment rose by 13,400 in the third quarter, significantly higher than the gains of 7,500 in the first and 3,800 in the second quarter this year, but lower than 34,300 in the third quarter last year.
Construction continued to add workers (8,100), higher than the increase in the preceding quarter (4,700) and comparable to the first quarter of 2009 (8,300).
Manufacturing shed workers for the fourth consecutive quarter, but the decline (-6,600) was substantially lower than in the first two quarters this year.
Figures for retrenchment and redundancy also improved, with an estimated 2,000 workers retrenched and 200 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely.
This is significantly lower than the 5,980 workers made redundant in the second quarter of 2009, comprising 5,170 workers retrenched and 810 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely.
Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.4% in September 2009 from 3.3% in June 2009, while on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the overall unemployment rate decreased from 4.1% in June 2009 to 2.9% in September 2009
Oct 28, 2009
Lay-off shock at HP, second time this year
The economy may be slowly emerging from the dumps, but retrenchments are happening even now as companies continue to restructure.
On Monday, American computer giant Hewlett-Packard was the latest to issue the pink slips - among the retrenched were at least one director and several senior engineers - paying out a month's salary for every year of service, to a maximum of 12 months' salary.
The retrenchments at HP's Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) unit, which work on printer designs, are part of the company's plan to streamline its operations to target high growth opportunities, said a company spokeswoman in Singapore.
She declined to say how many people were laid off, but added that HP would try to redeploy affected staff. Those who cannot be relocated will have to go.
"As part of the IPG operations unit transformation, the company announced plans in August to re-align the organisation in an effort to optimise and improve its supply chain," she said in an email reply to MediaCorp.
"As part of this realignment, some investments and resources will be shifted to help fuel high-growth areas for IPG's business. In other areas, it has resulted in a reduction of resources, including workforce reduction."
The decision to retrench was "made at a global level and is not specific to any one HP site", she said.
In May, HP laid off workers in the same department, citing similar reasons.
Some staff, apart from being surprised at the timing of the latest lay-offs, are wondering why HP did not convey in writing its decision on the retrenchment exercise, instead of relaying the news verbally in a low key fashion.
One retrenched employee told MediaCorp he was disappointed about the situation. He had worked for over five years at the company, and said he personally knew 20 of the others who were retrenched.
"There were many more who were laid off," he said. "At the end of the day, retrenchment is all about cost reduction."
Responding, the HP spokeswoman said employees were told in advance of the exercise, "in accordance with local industry practice and Ministry of Manpower guidelines".
Another employee, who worked at the company for almost 15 years, is taking the retrenchment in stride.
"Life doesn't end here," said the man, who is in his 40s. "It's a one-year (severance) package. I can still look around for a job."
The timing of the retrenchment did not surprise National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob, especially when the reasons were pegged to restructuring.
"This has also happened when there is no recession," said Mdm Halimah. "When they do their global or local review on operations, they always look at costs and competitiveness and how best they can do their productions."
According to her, a manufacturing firm laid off 300 of its staff - or 20 per cent of its workforce - last month after it relocated its printed circuit board department to a regional country, as part of restructuring.
- TODAY newspaper
On Monday, American computer giant Hewlett-Packard was the latest to issue the pink slips - among the retrenched were at least one director and several senior engineers - paying out a month's salary for every year of service, to a maximum of 12 months' salary.
The retrenchments at HP's Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) unit, which work on printer designs, are part of the company's plan to streamline its operations to target high growth opportunities, said a company spokeswoman in Singapore.
She declined to say how many people were laid off, but added that HP would try to redeploy affected staff. Those who cannot be relocated will have to go.
"As part of the IPG operations unit transformation, the company announced plans in August to re-align the organisation in an effort to optimise and improve its supply chain," she said in an email reply to MediaCorp.
"As part of this realignment, some investments and resources will be shifted to help fuel high-growth areas for IPG's business. In other areas, it has resulted in a reduction of resources, including workforce reduction."
The decision to retrench was "made at a global level and is not specific to any one HP site", she said.
In May, HP laid off workers in the same department, citing similar reasons.
Some staff, apart from being surprised at the timing of the latest lay-offs, are wondering why HP did not convey in writing its decision on the retrenchment exercise, instead of relaying the news verbally in a low key fashion.
One retrenched employee told MediaCorp he was disappointed about the situation. He had worked for over five years at the company, and said he personally knew 20 of the others who were retrenched.
"There were many more who were laid off," he said. "At the end of the day, retrenchment is all about cost reduction."
Responding, the HP spokeswoman said employees were told in advance of the exercise, "in accordance with local industry practice and Ministry of Manpower guidelines".
Another employee, who worked at the company for almost 15 years, is taking the retrenchment in stride.
"Life doesn't end here," said the man, who is in his 40s. "It's a one-year (severance) package. I can still look around for a job."
The timing of the retrenchment did not surprise National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob, especially when the reasons were pegged to restructuring.
"This has also happened when there is no recession," said Mdm Halimah. "When they do their global or local review on operations, they always look at costs and competitiveness and how best they can do their productions."
According to her, a manufacturing firm laid off 300 of its staff - or 20 per cent of its workforce - last month after it relocated its printed circuit board department to a regional country, as part of restructuring.
- TODAY newspaper
Oct 26, 2009
Dirty tricks employed during the recession
The worst of the recession may be over, but technician Ellence Chua is still smarting over the treatment by his former employer of 12 years.
He was offered a week's retrenchment benefits for each year of service, below the norm of a month.
He was also told to sign a letter not to get representation from his union - which could have negotiated better terms.
'They said if I sign the letter, I get the cheque,' said Mr Chua, 56, who refused to do so, even though three colleagues did.
'We should get more in benefits. We've been loyal to the company for many years,' said the man who eventually depended on the union to negotiate better terms.
The construction firm's actions were among the bad practices encountered by unionists as the economy slid into recession in the second quarter of last year. Other bosses have docked wages without taking the lead themselves, or sacked staff to avoid paying retrenchment benefits, said the director of industrial relations at the National Trades Union Congress, Ms Cham Hui Fong.
Her department has been handling more cases related to company restructuring - 122 in the first half of this year, up from 24 in the same period last year.
In companies whose workers are not represented by unions, some did not give any retrenchment payout while others cut wages and benefits without consulting the staff, said NTUC deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob.
While unionists say nasty bosses are a minority, they represent only those cases where the affected workers have sought help from the unions, NTUC or the Manpower Ministry.
The Sunday Times talks to unionists about some of the dirty tricks among bosses:
1 The stop-union boss
When construction firm Sembawang Engineers and Constructors laid off workers like Mr Chua in July last year, it astonished unionists by trying to keep them out of negotiations.
The Indian-owned builder of Singapore's MRT and LRT stations asked the workers to sign a letter that said: 'I understand that the union is negotiating with the company on this matter.
'Though I am a union member, I am rejecting union's representation. Therefore, I will not accept and will reject any other settlement that may be reached between the company and the union.'
Those who signed it received their retrenchment benefits first. Those who refused were left in limbo until the union and the Manpower Ministry settled the case.
Sembawang's treatment of its workers surfaced at a hearing before the Industrial Arbitration Court on Oct 16, after the company broke off talks on a collective agreement with the Building Construction & Timber Industries Employees' Union.
Its actions prompted Madam Halimah to tell the court: 'This is a serious interference in the affairs of a trade union and a clear instigation of the workers to reject the union.
'It was a clear attempt to undermine our efforts to get a fair deal for the workers.'
After the union and the ministry weighed in, the company raised the retrenchment benefits from one week to two, for each year of service. Mr Chua took home $14,000 and found a similar job in an airline company, earning the same pay.
2 The short-notice, hush-hush boss
DBS Bank's sudden decision last November to cut 900 jobs without consulting its union or considering alternatives led labour chief Lim Swee Say to voice his disappointment publicly that it had retrenched staff as the first resort.
A plastics company tried to 'follow DBS' style' earlier this year, said the president of the Chemical Industries Employees' Union, Mr G. Rajendran. Without informing the union, it gave more than 50 workers a day's notice that they would be laid off.
It gave only one week's retrenchment benefits for each year of service.
Workers called in the union, which got the company to increase the benefits to more than two weeks for each year of service, as well as sponsor a few weeks of training for those affected so that they can find new jobs.
3 The disguised retrenchment boss
Some employers dismissed staff for poor performance to avoid paying retrenchment benefits, even though the case against the worker was 'not so clear-cut', said Madam Halimah.
Such decisions should be based on fair and objective performance appraisals, not 'just on arbitrary word-of-mouth allegations of some supervisors', she added.
One electronics firm let go of five executives, citing under-performance, even though they had not been told previously of any shortcoming or been issued warning letters.
As executives are not covered under a collective agreement, the union appealed to the Manpower Ministry to help them retain their jobs - and succeeded.
Madam Halimah warned: 'Such poor treatment creates serious morale problems and, in the long run, is not in the companies' interest.'
Agreeing, the executive director of the Singapore National Employers Federation, Mr Koh Juan Kiat, said other employees would be concerned over how they would be treated in the future.
Such actions could also damage the company's reputation among new staff and the public, he added.
4. The you-bear-it-all boss
The principle of equal sacrifice when introducing temporary layoffs and other measures to manage excess manpower is spelt out in guidelines drawn up by the Government, employer groups and unions.
But some bosses did not go 50-50 in salary payments, such as a company in the chemical industry that made its workers go on two days' no-pay leave this year.
The workers complained to NTUC, which asked the company to recognise the union - a move allowing the latter to represent the workers - but it refused.
A secret ballot among the workers was called, with 90 per cent voting to form a union. But it still refused to talk to NTUC.
Said Ms Cham: 'They chased our officers out of the premises, saying they never agreed to have a union.'
The issue is still being thrashed out between both parties.
- The Sunday Times
He was offered a week's retrenchment benefits for each year of service, below the norm of a month.
He was also told to sign a letter not to get representation from his union - which could have negotiated better terms.
'They said if I sign the letter, I get the cheque,' said Mr Chua, 56, who refused to do so, even though three colleagues did.
'We should get more in benefits. We've been loyal to the company for many years,' said the man who eventually depended on the union to negotiate better terms.
The construction firm's actions were among the bad practices encountered by unionists as the economy slid into recession in the second quarter of last year. Other bosses have docked wages without taking the lead themselves, or sacked staff to avoid paying retrenchment benefits, said the director of industrial relations at the National Trades Union Congress, Ms Cham Hui Fong.
Her department has been handling more cases related to company restructuring - 122 in the first half of this year, up from 24 in the same period last year.
In companies whose workers are not represented by unions, some did not give any retrenchment payout while others cut wages and benefits without consulting the staff, said NTUC deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob.
While unionists say nasty bosses are a minority, they represent only those cases where the affected workers have sought help from the unions, NTUC or the Manpower Ministry.
The Sunday Times talks to unionists about some of the dirty tricks among bosses:
1 The stop-union boss
When construction firm Sembawang Engineers and Constructors laid off workers like Mr Chua in July last year, it astonished unionists by trying to keep them out of negotiations.
The Indian-owned builder of Singapore's MRT and LRT stations asked the workers to sign a letter that said: 'I understand that the union is negotiating with the company on this matter.
'Though I am a union member, I am rejecting union's representation. Therefore, I will not accept and will reject any other settlement that may be reached between the company and the union.'
Those who signed it received their retrenchment benefits first. Those who refused were left in limbo until the union and the Manpower Ministry settled the case.
Sembawang's treatment of its workers surfaced at a hearing before the Industrial Arbitration Court on Oct 16, after the company broke off talks on a collective agreement with the Building Construction & Timber Industries Employees' Union.
Its actions prompted Madam Halimah to tell the court: 'This is a serious interference in the affairs of a trade union and a clear instigation of the workers to reject the union.
'It was a clear attempt to undermine our efforts to get a fair deal for the workers.'
After the union and the ministry weighed in, the company raised the retrenchment benefits from one week to two, for each year of service. Mr Chua took home $14,000 and found a similar job in an airline company, earning the same pay.
2 The short-notice, hush-hush boss
DBS Bank's sudden decision last November to cut 900 jobs without consulting its union or considering alternatives led labour chief Lim Swee Say to voice his disappointment publicly that it had retrenched staff as the first resort.
A plastics company tried to 'follow DBS' style' earlier this year, said the president of the Chemical Industries Employees' Union, Mr G. Rajendran. Without informing the union, it gave more than 50 workers a day's notice that they would be laid off.
It gave only one week's retrenchment benefits for each year of service.
Workers called in the union, which got the company to increase the benefits to more than two weeks for each year of service, as well as sponsor a few weeks of training for those affected so that they can find new jobs.
3 The disguised retrenchment boss
Some employers dismissed staff for poor performance to avoid paying retrenchment benefits, even though the case against the worker was 'not so clear-cut', said Madam Halimah.
Such decisions should be based on fair and objective performance appraisals, not 'just on arbitrary word-of-mouth allegations of some supervisors', she added.
One electronics firm let go of five executives, citing under-performance, even though they had not been told previously of any shortcoming or been issued warning letters.
As executives are not covered under a collective agreement, the union appealed to the Manpower Ministry to help them retain their jobs - and succeeded.
Madam Halimah warned: 'Such poor treatment creates serious morale problems and, in the long run, is not in the companies' interest.'
Agreeing, the executive director of the Singapore National Employers Federation, Mr Koh Juan Kiat, said other employees would be concerned over how they would be treated in the future.
Such actions could also damage the company's reputation among new staff and the public, he added.
4. The you-bear-it-all boss
The principle of equal sacrifice when introducing temporary layoffs and other measures to manage excess manpower is spelt out in guidelines drawn up by the Government, employer groups and unions.
But some bosses did not go 50-50 in salary payments, such as a company in the chemical industry that made its workers go on two days' no-pay leave this year.
The workers complained to NTUC, which asked the company to recognise the union - a move allowing the latter to represent the workers - but it refused.
A secret ballot among the workers was called, with 90 per cent voting to form a union. But it still refused to talk to NTUC.
Said Ms Cham: 'They chased our officers out of the premises, saying they never agreed to have a union.'
The issue is still being thrashed out between both parties.
- The Sunday Times
Oct 22, 2009
Employers hire again
OPTIMISM continues to inch back into the private sector with more bosses saying they will take on extra staff this quarter, according to a new survey.
The proportion of employers expecting to increase staff numbers before the end of the year has increased from the second quarter - not dramatically, but enough to suggest a trend is forming.
Human resource (HR) consultancy Hudson, which conducts quarterly forecasts on prospects for white-collar workers, polled 600 executives across key business sectors in August.
It found that 34 per cent forecast increased hiring in the fourth quarter. This is up from 26 per cent in the third quarter and marks the second straight quarterly rise in hiring expectations.
A similar poll in May showed that more bosses were willing to hire again, the first increase since the first quarter of 2007.
The new survey also found that the proportion of respondents expecting to lay off staff has fallen in every sector. Overall, just 5per cent of bosses say they will shed staff this quarter, compared with 14 per cent in the third quarter.
- The Straits Times
The proportion of employers expecting to increase staff numbers before the end of the year has increased from the second quarter - not dramatically, but enough to suggest a trend is forming.
Human resource (HR) consultancy Hudson, which conducts quarterly forecasts on prospects for white-collar workers, polled 600 executives across key business sectors in August.
It found that 34 per cent forecast increased hiring in the fourth quarter. This is up from 26 per cent in the third quarter and marks the second straight quarterly rise in hiring expectations.
A similar poll in May showed that more bosses were willing to hire again, the first increase since the first quarter of 2007.
The new survey also found that the proportion of respondents expecting to lay off staff has fallen in every sector. Overall, just 5per cent of bosses say they will shed staff this quarter, compared with 14 per cent in the third quarter.
- The Straits Times
Oct 16, 2009
More value older workers
THREE in four unionised companies here are already hiring workers after they hit retirement age, even before new re-employment guidelines kick in.
More than 750 companies have done so, up from about 50 companies that had such policies in place in 2005.
The re-employment guidelines will be made part of the proposed amendments to the Employment Act, which will be introduced in Parliament in 2012, said National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Lim Swee Say.
Among other things, the guidelines will encourage companies to re-hire a certain proportion of older or retired workers. Such measures are vital if Singapore is to have a more inclusive workforce and a 'cheaper, better and faster' economy in the years ahead, Mr Lim said.
Re-hiring older men and women is one way of helping companies remain competitive and grow, he added, speaking on the last day of the three-day NTUC Ordinary Delegates' Conference 2009 on Thursday.
Mr Lim added that, as part of the new guidelines, the labour movement was also pushing for companies to stop the practice of cutting a worker's wages when he turns 60.
- mypaper
More than 750 companies have done so, up from about 50 companies that had such policies in place in 2005.
The re-employment guidelines will be made part of the proposed amendments to the Employment Act, which will be introduced in Parliament in 2012, said National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Lim Swee Say.
Among other things, the guidelines will encourage companies to re-hire a certain proportion of older or retired workers. Such measures are vital if Singapore is to have a more inclusive workforce and a 'cheaper, better and faster' economy in the years ahead, Mr Lim said.
Re-hiring older men and women is one way of helping companies remain competitive and grow, he added, speaking on the last day of the three-day NTUC Ordinary Delegates' Conference 2009 on Thursday.
Mr Lim added that, as part of the new guidelines, the labour movement was also pushing for companies to stop the practice of cutting a worker's wages when he turns 60.
- mypaper
MPs to tackle jobs, football
JOBS and football, the two issues foremost on the minds of Singaporeans at the moment, will get aired in Parliament next week.
MPs have filed three questions on each subject for Monday's sitting.
Madam Ho Geok Choo (West Coast GRC), Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) and nominated MP Teo Siong Seng want the House to discuss the recently extended Jobs Credit.
The scheme, which subsidises a company's wage bill, has been extended for another six months till next June, at a stepped-down rate.
Meanwhile, Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) and Nominated MP Calvin Cheng will raise concerns surrounding the tussle for football broadcasting rights between StarHub and SingTel.
On the $4.5 billion Jobs Credit scheme, MPs want some account of what the money handed out by the Government this year has achieved.
- The Straits Times
MPs have filed three questions on each subject for Monday's sitting.
Madam Ho Geok Choo (West Coast GRC), Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) and nominated MP Teo Siong Seng want the House to discuss the recently extended Jobs Credit.
The scheme, which subsidises a company's wage bill, has been extended for another six months till next June, at a stepped-down rate.
Meanwhile, Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) and Nominated MP Calvin Cheng will raise concerns surrounding the tussle for football broadcasting rights between StarHub and SingTel.
On the $4.5 billion Jobs Credit scheme, MPs want some account of what the money handed out by the Government this year has achieved.
- The Straits Times
Oct 15, 2009
Record job losses here unlikely, says Swee Say
THE National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has helped to stave off record retrenchment and unemployment, meeting two of the three targets it had set for itself, said its secretary-general, Mr Lim Swee Say.
But more can still be done to upgrade the skills of workers to prepare them for stiffer global competition, he said.
At the NTUC Ordinary Delegates' Conference on Tuesday, he said that the union had been worried that Singapore could face high unemployment and retrenchment during the recession.
So the Government, Singapore National Employers Federation and NTUC launched a $20.5 billion resilience package early this year, to help save jobs.
The package, which included the Jobs Credit scheme that subsidises wage bills, led to a big drop in retrenchments in unionised companies in the second quarter, compared to the first.
With fewer than 100 jobs cut every week from early July to end August, NTUC believes it will meet its first target of preventing retrenchments from breaching the record 29,000 jobs lost in 1998's Asian financial crisis.
Mr Lim said it is likely that NTUC would meet its second target of preventing high unemployment, because of retraining programmes and a scheme to subsidise workers' training cost.
The second quarter's unemployment rate was 3.3 per cent, lower than the record 4.8 per cent after the 2003 Sars crisis.
But NTUC was less certain of meeting its third target of upgrading the country's workforce to take advantage of an upturn.
Mr Lim was worried about waning interest among companies for training their staff as the economy recovered.
He urged workers to be more productive and flexible, or risk losing jobs to other countries. Singapore Management University senior economics lecturer Peter Kriz said that firms need to learn how to survive in a more competitive world.
'This alone should force them to hire and maintain highly skilled staff. Firms cannot expect to recapture the full returns of training in an extremely mobile world,' he said.
- mypaper
But more can still be done to upgrade the skills of workers to prepare them for stiffer global competition, he said.
At the NTUC Ordinary Delegates' Conference on Tuesday, he said that the union had been worried that Singapore could face high unemployment and retrenchment during the recession.
So the Government, Singapore National Employers Federation and NTUC launched a $20.5 billion resilience package early this year, to help save jobs.
The package, which included the Jobs Credit scheme that subsidises wage bills, led to a big drop in retrenchments in unionised companies in the second quarter, compared to the first.
With fewer than 100 jobs cut every week from early July to end August, NTUC believes it will meet its first target of preventing retrenchments from breaching the record 29,000 jobs lost in 1998's Asian financial crisis.
Mr Lim said it is likely that NTUC would meet its second target of preventing high unemployment, because of retraining programmes and a scheme to subsidise workers' training cost.
The second quarter's unemployment rate was 3.3 per cent, lower than the record 4.8 per cent after the 2003 Sars crisis.
But NTUC was less certain of meeting its third target of upgrading the country's workforce to take advantage of an upturn.
Mr Lim was worried about waning interest among companies for training their staff as the economy recovered.
He urged workers to be more productive and flexible, or risk losing jobs to other countries. Singapore Management University senior economics lecturer Peter Kriz said that firms need to learn how to survive in a more competitive world.
'This alone should force them to hire and maintain highly skilled staff. Firms cannot expect to recapture the full returns of training in an extremely mobile world,' he said.
- mypaper
Oct 14, 2009
NTUC's new mission
THE labour movement is gearing up for a new mission now that the worst of the recession is over.
It wants to support the transformation of Singapore's economy as global competition for investment and jobs intensifies - and achieve this without leaving any worker behind.
Labour chief Lim Swee Say delivered this message when presenting his report card on the labour movement's achievements in the past two years.
In doing so, he ticked off two key performance indicators that had been met. These were: avoiding record layoffs, and preventing a rapid rise in the number of unemployed workers.
He presented his report to some 1,000 union leaders and employers at the National Trades Union Congress' Ordinary Delegates' Conference, a three-day meeting at the Orchid Country Club that began on Tuesday.
The NTUC, which is known for inventing catchy phrases like 'Cut Costs to Save Jobs' and 'Upturn and Downturn', came up with new two acronyms for the labour movement's latest mission.
These were 'CBF', for cheaper, better and faster; and 'all CAN', for all types of workers - whether they are blue-, silver- or white-Collar employees, and regardless of their age and nationality.
'For the labour movement, the only option is make sure we have a CBF economy powered by an all CAN workforce,' said Mr Lim.
- The Straits Times
It wants to support the transformation of Singapore's economy as global competition for investment and jobs intensifies - and achieve this without leaving any worker behind.
Labour chief Lim Swee Say delivered this message when presenting his report card on the labour movement's achievements in the past two years.
In doing so, he ticked off two key performance indicators that had been met. These were: avoiding record layoffs, and preventing a rapid rise in the number of unemployed workers.
He presented his report to some 1,000 union leaders and employers at the National Trades Union Congress' Ordinary Delegates' Conference, a three-day meeting at the Orchid Country Club that began on Tuesday.
The NTUC, which is known for inventing catchy phrases like 'Cut Costs to Save Jobs' and 'Upturn and Downturn', came up with new two acronyms for the labour movement's latest mission.
These were 'CBF', for cheaper, better and faster; and 'all CAN', for all types of workers - whether they are blue-, silver- or white-Collar employees, and regardless of their age and nationality.
'For the labour movement, the only option is make sure we have a CBF economy powered by an all CAN workforce,' said Mr Lim.
- The Straits Times
Oct 13, 2009
Government extends Jobs Credit
THE Government will extend the Jobs Credit scheme by another six months by giving two more stepped-down payouts in March and June to help firms hold jobs, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Tuesday.
The first extra payment will be based on employees on the payroll in January, at 6 per cent of salary, and the second will be based on next April's payroll, at 3 per cent of the workers' pay. These additional payments will cost the Government $675 million and will be funded from its regular budget, unlike the earlier payments which came from past reserves, said PM Lee at the NTUC ordinary delegates' conference at Orchid Country Club on Tuesday morning.
The $4.5 billion scheme was part of the Resilience Package in Budget 2009, introduced to help ease companies' operating costs and avoid layoffs of workers during the economic downturn. For every resident worker on their Central Provident Fund payrolls, bosses currently get 12 per cent on the first $2,500 of the employee's monthly wage.
Lauding the scheme as 'an extraordinary response to a grave economic crisis,' Mr Lee said it has done its work and held retrenchment and unemployment numbers down. With the economy now having stabilised, he said it is timely to phase out Jobs Credit and adopt more targeted measures to support economic restructuring and enhance productivity.
On the six-month extension, Mr Lee explained: 'Strictly speaking, it is no longer needed. The economy is now recovering, and some companies are hiring again. But if we withdraw the Jobs Credit completely and suddenly, companies may have difficulties adjusting.'
'We have talked to employers and unions. They understand the need to withdraw the Jobs Credit, but hope to be given another few months. We have carefully considered all views and will extend the programme.'
- The Straits Times
The first extra payment will be based on employees on the payroll in January, at 6 per cent of salary, and the second will be based on next April's payroll, at 3 per cent of the workers' pay. These additional payments will cost the Government $675 million and will be funded from its regular budget, unlike the earlier payments which came from past reserves, said PM Lee at the NTUC ordinary delegates' conference at Orchid Country Club on Tuesday morning.
The $4.5 billion scheme was part of the Resilience Package in Budget 2009, introduced to help ease companies' operating costs and avoid layoffs of workers during the economic downturn. For every resident worker on their Central Provident Fund payrolls, bosses currently get 12 per cent on the first $2,500 of the employee's monthly wage.
Lauding the scheme as 'an extraordinary response to a grave economic crisis,' Mr Lee said it has done its work and held retrenchment and unemployment numbers down. With the economy now having stabilised, he said it is timely to phase out Jobs Credit and adopt more targeted measures to support economic restructuring and enhance productivity.
On the six-month extension, Mr Lee explained: 'Strictly speaking, it is no longer needed. The economy is now recovering, and some companies are hiring again. But if we withdraw the Jobs Credit completely and suddenly, companies may have difficulties adjusting.'
'We have talked to employers and unions. They understand the need to withdraw the Jobs Credit, but hope to be given another few months. We have carefully considered all views and will extend the programme.'
- The Straits Times
S'pore's jobless may rise
SINGAPORE'S unemployment will stay up for some time, even as the economy has decisively emerged from its worst recession and started to grow again.
Sounding a note of caution, Prime Minister Lee said in the short term, the jobless rate may well rise above the second quarter's 3.3 per cent.
'This is because unemployment numbers tend to lag behind the economic recovery. Companies will not resume large scale hiring until they are confident of sustained recovery,' he told the NTUC ordinary delegates conference on Tuesday morning.
PM Lee noted that the United States is bracing for its unemployment rate to rise above 10 per cent, and the growth in the US, Europe, Japan and China has so far been due to government spending.
'When the stimulus ends, their economies may slow down again. If that happens, our growth will be dampened too. Even with growth, our unemployment will stay up for some time,' he said. 'Therefore, we must be psychologically prepared for dampened growth, or in any event for unemployment to stay up.'
Singapore's unemployment rate is at the highest in four years and nearly 19,000 workers lost their jobs in the first half of the year as the global recession curbed demand for goods and services.
- The Straits Times
Sounding a note of caution, Prime Minister Lee said in the short term, the jobless rate may well rise above the second quarter's 3.3 per cent.
'This is because unemployment numbers tend to lag behind the economic recovery. Companies will not resume large scale hiring until they are confident of sustained recovery,' he told the NTUC ordinary delegates conference on Tuesday morning.
PM Lee noted that the United States is bracing for its unemployment rate to rise above 10 per cent, and the growth in the US, Europe, Japan and China has so far been due to government spending.
'When the stimulus ends, their economies may slow down again. If that happens, our growth will be dampened too. Even with growth, our unemployment will stay up for some time,' he said. 'Therefore, we must be psychologically prepared for dampened growth, or in any event for unemployment to stay up.'
Singapore's unemployment rate is at the highest in four years and nearly 19,000 workers lost their jobs in the first half of the year as the global recession curbed demand for goods and services.
- The Straits Times
Oct 11, 2009
Restructuring layoffs not abuse
BOSSES who receive Jobs Credit payments are expected to do their utmost to save jobs and to retrench staff only as a last resort.
But they are not abusing the wage subsidy if they must lay off workers as a result of business restructuring, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua said on Sunday.
She was responding to Bishan neighbourhood committee vice-chairman William Swee, who asked at a residents' dialogue whether employers had any legal or moral obligations under the scheme.
The $4.5 billion scheme aims to help employers hold on to workers during the global economic downturn by defraying their wage bills. For every resident worker on their Central Provident Fund payrolls, bosses get 12 per cent on the first $2,500 of the employee's monthly wage.
Mr Swee, 69, a freelance consultant, claimed that an organisation which received Jobs Credit had laid off five employees, but gave increments to top management and later took in new recruits.
He did not name the organisation.
- The Straits Times
But they are not abusing the wage subsidy if they must lay off workers as a result of business restructuring, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua said on Sunday.
She was responding to Bishan neighbourhood committee vice-chairman William Swee, who asked at a residents' dialogue whether employers had any legal or moral obligations under the scheme.
The $4.5 billion scheme aims to help employers hold on to workers during the global economic downturn by defraying their wage bills. For every resident worker on their Central Provident Fund payrolls, bosses get 12 per cent on the first $2,500 of the employee's monthly wage.
Mr Swee, 69, a freelance consultant, claimed that an organisation which received Jobs Credit had laid off five employees, but gave increments to top management and later took in new recruits.
He did not name the organisation.
- The Straits Times
Oct 6, 2009
Saving jobs is CSR
GOING green and helping the poor are two common ways that companies around the world show they have corporate social responsibility (CSR).
In Singapore, companies demonstrated yet another way by cooperating with the Government and labour movement to save jobs during the downturn, said Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday.
For instance, employers implemented shorter work weeks, sent workers for training during lull periods, and retrenched as a last resort, he told an international conference on corporate social responsbility here.
'The tripartite partners' response to the current economic downturn is a clear manifestation of corporate social responsibility at work in Singapore,' he said. His definition of corporate social responsibility, however, is not the norm.
A survey by the Trade and Industry Ministry last year found that only three in 10 companies here were aware of and practised corporate social responsibility such as being environmentally friendly or helping the poor.
But he broadened the scope of such practices by calling on companies to also consider ways to tackle future challenges such as an ageing population and the widening income gap.
- The Straits Times
In Singapore, companies demonstrated yet another way by cooperating with the Government and labour movement to save jobs during the downturn, said Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday.
For instance, employers implemented shorter work weeks, sent workers for training during lull periods, and retrenched as a last resort, he told an international conference on corporate social responsbility here.
'The tripartite partners' response to the current economic downturn is a clear manifestation of corporate social responsibility at work in Singapore,' he said. His definition of corporate social responsibility, however, is not the norm.
A survey by the Trade and Industry Ministry last year found that only three in 10 companies here were aware of and practised corporate social responsibility such as being environmentally friendly or helping the poor.
But he broadened the scope of such practices by calling on companies to also consider ways to tackle future challenges such as an ageing population and the widening income gap.
- The Straits Times
Sep 22, 2009
Extension of Jobs Credit?
THE Government will announce by the middle of October whether the Jobs Credit scheme will be extended, and if so, in what form.
This early decision will be welcomed by the business community as many companies are already in the process of firming up their business plans and budgets for next year.
The Jobs Credit scheme was introduced in this year's Budget to help companies hold on to their workers amid one of Singapore's worst recessions since independence.
Under the scheme, the Government helps employers defray part of the wage bill of local workers. It gives employers funds for every resident worker on their Central Provident Fund payroll - 12 per cent on the first $2,500 of each month's wages for each employee.
There are four payouts in the year, with the last payment made in December.
Said the Finance Ministry noted in a statement on Tuesday: 'As stated in the 2009 Budget Speech, the Government would review whether it is necessary to extend the Jobs Credit scheme depending on the state of economy.
'The review is currently ongoing, taking into account all factors including the latest economic and employment outlook for the coming year.'
'The Government will announce whether the Jobs Credit scheme will be extended, and if so in what form, by mid-October.'
In its statement, the ministry also said that more than 100,000 employers, hiring about 1.4 million local workers, will receive $890 million from the third payment of Jobs Credit on September 30.
Eligible employers will receive a notification letter by Thursday from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore informing them of the amount of Jobs Credit they will receive in the third payment.
- The Straits Times
This early decision will be welcomed by the business community as many companies are already in the process of firming up their business plans and budgets for next year.
The Jobs Credit scheme was introduced in this year's Budget to help companies hold on to their workers amid one of Singapore's worst recessions since independence.
Under the scheme, the Government helps employers defray part of the wage bill of local workers. It gives employers funds for every resident worker on their Central Provident Fund payroll - 12 per cent on the first $2,500 of each month's wages for each employee.
There are four payouts in the year, with the last payment made in December.
Said the Finance Ministry noted in a statement on Tuesday: 'As stated in the 2009 Budget Speech, the Government would review whether it is necessary to extend the Jobs Credit scheme depending on the state of economy.
'The review is currently ongoing, taking into account all factors including the latest economic and employment outlook for the coming year.'
'The Government will announce whether the Jobs Credit scheme will be extended, and if so in what form, by mid-October.'
In its statement, the ministry also said that more than 100,000 employers, hiring about 1.4 million local workers, will receive $890 million from the third payment of Jobs Credit on September 30.
Eligible employers will receive a notification letter by Thursday from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore informing them of the amount of Jobs Credit they will receive in the third payment.
- The Straits Times
More help for PMETs
UP TO $40,000 in financial assistance is being offered to professionals with viable ideas for a social enterprise that will benefit residents in the North West district.
It is one of several initiatives being rolled out by North West Community Development Council, to assist the increasing number of PMETs, or professionals, managers, executives and technicians, coming forward for job assistance.
The money is being pledged by two volunteers in the North West CDC, as part of a tie-up between Republic Polytechnic and SPRING Singapore.
Forty individuals, both employed and unemployed, are currently studying for a Certificate in Business Skills for Start-Up, with course fees 90 per cent subsidised by SPRING.
At the end of the course, participants will present their business proposals to a panel of venture capitalists. Members of the panel, which includes the two volunteers, will invest in the most viable proposals.
While the CDC's traditional focus has been on helping rank and file blue-collar workers, North West mayor Dr Teo Ho Pin said the new initiatives were a response to the 'sudden surge' in PMETs coming forward for job assistance in the past year.
For the period Jan 2008 - Sept 2008, the CDC saw an average of 48 such job-seekers each month. The number surged to 125 a month from October until August 2009. It hit a peak of 300 in Mar before falling back down.
Other CDCs have also reported a more than 100 per cent increase in the number of PMET job seekers.
From January to August 2009, the South West CDC saw an average of 141 job applications from PMETs each month. This was a 187 per cent increase from the average of 49 per month in the same period last year.
North West is currently assisting about 3,200 job-seekers, of whom 600 are PMETs who have been unemployed for an average of one to three months. They range from engineers to administrators and salesmen.
- The Straits Times
It is one of several initiatives being rolled out by North West Community Development Council, to assist the increasing number of PMETs, or professionals, managers, executives and technicians, coming forward for job assistance.
The money is being pledged by two volunteers in the North West CDC, as part of a tie-up between Republic Polytechnic and SPRING Singapore.
Forty individuals, both employed and unemployed, are currently studying for a Certificate in Business Skills for Start-Up, with course fees 90 per cent subsidised by SPRING.
At the end of the course, participants will present their business proposals to a panel of venture capitalists. Members of the panel, which includes the two volunteers, will invest in the most viable proposals.
While the CDC's traditional focus has been on helping rank and file blue-collar workers, North West mayor Dr Teo Ho Pin said the new initiatives were a response to the 'sudden surge' in PMETs coming forward for job assistance in the past year.
For the period Jan 2008 - Sept 2008, the CDC saw an average of 48 such job-seekers each month. The number surged to 125 a month from October until August 2009. It hit a peak of 300 in Mar before falling back down.
Other CDCs have also reported a more than 100 per cent increase in the number of PMET job seekers.
From January to August 2009, the South West CDC saw an average of 141 job applications from PMETs each month. This was a 187 per cent increase from the average of 49 per month in the same period last year.
North West is currently assisting about 3,200 job-seekers, of whom 600 are PMETs who have been unemployed for an average of one to three months. They range from engineers to administrators and salesmen.
- The Straits Times
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