We refer to the article “‘Growth in foreign worker numbers cannot go unabated’” (TR Emeritus, Jul 7).
Foreign workers’ growth rate slowed down significantly?
It states that “The foreign workforce tightening measures have slowed down foreigner growth significantly, Mr Tan noted.
Excluding construction and domestic workers, FW growth rate was halved from 9.4% in 2011 to 4.6% in 2012, and halved again to just 2.3% in 2013.”
Foreign workers’ statistics may not include …?
Does the FW (foreign workers) growth rate account for the following whom we understand may not be counted as foreign workers in the FW statistics:-
… permanent residents (PRs)
… foreign spouses working under letters of consent
… foreign university interns
… foreign students studying in Singapore working as interns
… foreign workers on short-term projects of a few months or less than a year
… foreign workers who are allowed to work in Singapore under the various free trade agreements (FTAs), who are brought into Singapore by their home country companies operating in Singapore
… new citizens who until they became citizens were non-citizens?
260,800 “locals” jobs increase vs 451,934 new citizens/PRs?
– What percentage of the increase in the resident labour force (citizens and PRs) of 260,800 from 2007 to June 2013 were Singaporeans, against the estimated 451,934 new citizens and new PRs granted in the 7 years to end 2013?
133,033 new citizens = more than 50% not “Singaporeans”?
If we make an adjustment for the 133,033 new citizens granted from 2007 to 2013 – what percentage of the workforce are not originally Singaporeans – about more than 50% or more?
If indeed the FW growth rate is declining rapidly, why is it that the Singaporean workforce seems to be declining to become less than 50% of the total workforce?
The “rhetoric” vs the “statistics”?
What’s the point of the repeated rhetoric over the years, that the influx of foreign workers will be curtailed, when the statistics may seem to indicate otherwise?
S Y Lee and Leong Sze Hian
