I refer to the article “Employment and pay for locals go up, foreign employment growth slows” (Straits Times, Sep 16).

It states that “Employment grew by 27,700 in the three months to June, down from the 33,700 jobs created in the same period last year.

Only 14% of jobs created went to foreigners?

Of the jobs created in the second quarter, just 3,800 jobs went to foreigners, the slowest pace of foreign employment growth since the third quarter of 2009.”

86% of jobs created went to locals?

This means that the jobs to locals was 23,900.

But how many new PRs and new citizens granted?

If the number of new PRs and new citizens continued to increase at about 55,000 a year (30,000 new PRs and 25,000 new citizens) in a year – the number of jobs created for locals may be as low as 12,900 assuming that about 80% were workers and not dependents (23,900 – 55,000 x 80% divided by 4 quarters).

Unemployed Singaporeans increased by 20,900?

But the number of unemployed Singaporeans increased by 20,900 in the last quarter.

So, how many of the jobs created went to true-blue Singaporeans?

Perhaps not many?

I came across a case in the last quarter of a foreigner who came on a tourist visa to look for a job. He managed to find an employer who applied for a work pass which was rejected.

The company then appealed and was successful.  The foreigner then converted his tourist visa to a foreign work pass.

The company then employed 30% Singaporeans, 10% PRs, 50% foreigners and 10% foreign spouses on a long-term visit pass plus (LTVP) with a letter of consent.

By the way, half of the foreign workers in the company (30% of all the workers) were only employed within the last 6 months.

Leong Sze Hian

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