Alternative daily news (37B) Work hours down?

January 31, 2014

TR Emeritus

Jan 27, 2014

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/01/27/alternative-daily-news-37b-work-hours-down/

I refer to the article “Singapore workers clock slightly fewer hours than 10 years ago” (Channel NewsAsia, Jan 21).

Work hours dropped?

It states that “Employed residents in Singapore worked 45.6 hours per week on average last year, a slight decline from the 47.4 hours per week a decade before.”

Males worked 49.6 hours?

According to the Ministry of Manpower’s Labour Force report – the average usual hours worked per week for full-time and part-time workers as at June 2012, was 48.2 and 21.5 hours, respectively – making a total overall average of 45.6 hours.

Males’ average work hours were longer at 49.6 hours.

The older one gets, the longer the work hours – at 48.8, 49.4 and 48.8 hours for age 40 – 49, 50 – 59 and 60 and over, respectively.

Older get less pay?

Given that a recent study by 2 academics at a local university commissioned by the Ministry of Manpower, indicated that real wages of workers start to fall from around the mid-30s age – does it mean that particularly lower-income workers tend to work longer hours in their elderly years with lesser if not negative real pay increase?

39.2% worked more than 48 hours?

The proportion (%) of employed full-time residents who worked more than 48 hours a week was very high at 39.2% for males, and 36.7% for all workers.

Still the longest in the world?

Several recent media reports have said that Singaporean workers worked the longest in the world:

“Singaporeans work the longest hours among top cities” (18 Oct, 2012)

“S’poreans work the longest hours in the world” (19 Oct, 2013)

So, the question that perhaps could have been asked was are we still the “longest work hours in the world?”

Shorter hours because more part-timers?

As to “In a written parliamentary reply, Acting Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said this reflects a rise in part-time employment”

– The fact that the work hours has fallen by just 1.8 hours may be due to there being much more part-timers now compared to 10 years ago.

What was the proportion of part-timers 10 years ago, compared to today?

So, are full-time workers working longer today compared to 10 years ago?

After all, isn’t this what the MP who asked the question really wanted to know? Or was it otherwise?

Leong Sze Hian

SHARE TWEET PIN SHARE

About the Author

Leong
Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional  qualifications.