‘Opportunities, jobs still available as long as S’poreans prepared to train’

I refer to the article “‘Opportunities, jobs still available as long as S’poreans prepared to train’” (Today, Feb 15).

Work hard for 1 – 3 % economic growth

It states that “Urging Singaporeans not to be overly despondent about the state of the economy, labour chief and Tanjong Pagar Member of Parliament (MP) Chan Chun Sing called on them to instead work hard to achieve economic growth of 1 to 3 per cent forecasted for this year.

Opportunities are still available, as are “good jobs, so long as we are prepared to undertake some training””.

The “statistics” of the job opportunities?

Let’s discuss this from a statistical perspective.

130,000 people fighting for 100 jobs?

After years of consistent rhetoric on training and upskilling – the locals employment growth for last year was only 100 jobs.

And who may be “fighting” to get this 100 jobs?

… the estimated 30,000 plus citizen/PR new entrants to the workforce

… the estimated 50,000 new citizens/PRs granted last year (of course not all of them are workers)

… the 64,600 unemployed residents

… the 12,100 long-term unemployed residents

and arguably who else who may be competing with Singaporeans for jobs –

Hundreds of thousands of foreigners fighting for jobs too?

… the hundreds of thousands of foreigners abroad as well as those who come as tourists to look for jobs

… the 31,700 foreign jobs growth last year

Leong Sze Hian