I refer to the report “More seeking social assistance at CDCs” (Channel NewsAsia, Jan 12).

Increase in social assistance applications?

It states that “Between January and September 2012, the CDCs received close to 44,900 applications for help, an increase of 8.2 per cent compared to 2011. In 2011, there were 41,500 applications for the period between January and September.”

9 vs 12 months’ statistics?

It is interesting to note that the above figure is only for nine months.

Record number apply for assistance?

According to the CDCs’ annual report for FY2011, the number of applications was 72,700 for the whole year from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012.

Is this an all-time record high?

Giving the statistics for only nine months, may mask the stark reality that 72,700 families applied for social assistance under ComCare schemes in a year.

Missing statistics: Successful applications?

As to “But there may still be some who do not qualify for the schemes and who need some interim help.

“Definitely there are applicants who may not qualify, but they come forward. Some of them may know that outright they do not qualify,” said Dr Khor”, it may be somewhat odd, that the subject media release does not say how many of the applications were successful, like in the past.

For example, according to the reported statistics in February 2011, 39,500 or 71 per cent of approved applications for financial assistance under ComCare were successful, up from 42,100, or 67 per cent, in 2009. (“Saddest statistic ever: 200,000 families helped?, Aug 22, 2011)

Job seekers dropped from 100,504 to 24,500?

With regard to “Between January and November 2012, the number of people approaching the CDCs for training and employment assistance was 24,500, a 3 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2011.

The success rates of those being placed into employment has also been higher in 2012. 11,800 were placed into jobs between January and November 2012, compared to 10,100 for the same period in 2011” – According to the Department of Statistics’ (DOS) Monthly Digest of Statistics Singapore June 2012, job seekers attended to by the CDCs and e2i, was 99,608 and 100,504, in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and job seekers placed in employment was 17,732 and 14,223, respectively. (“Easier to get jobs?“, Sep 7 and “Latest statistical highlights: Job placement rate drops to 14%, Jul 17)

So, how is it possible that 100,504 job seekers attended to by the CDCs and e2i in 2011, has dropped dramatically to only 24,500 job seekers approaching CDCs in 11 months (excluding e2i?)? The latest statistics indicate that in the six months from June to November 2012, the number of job seekers attended to was 57,992. Thus, it may appear that the total for the full year of 2012 may end up to be even higher than 2011’s 100,504.

Declining job placement rate?

Similarly, the “11,800 were placed into jobs between January and November 2012”, seems to be much lower than the 14,223 placed in employment for the full year of 2011.

Job placement rate improved from 14 to 48%?

If we take the CDCs’ statistics now, the job placement rate (for 11 months) is 48 per cent, but if we take the DOS’s statistics, the placement rate for the 12 months in 2011 was only 14 per cent?

Leong Sze Hian