When did we start opening the flood gates for foreign workers?
Consistent rhetoric that foreign workers create jobs for Singaporeans?
After writing “Jobs 2006-2016: 376,800 locals, 701,900 foreigners – 467,659 new PRs, 208,840 new citizens? (Sep 3) – a friend who read the article “Wholesale trade has ‘good growth potential’” which said that “The move could create about 10,000 openings in wholesale trade by 2020, on top of the more than 325,000 people employed now” (Straits Times, Sep 5) – asked me “with the consistent rhetoric over the years that foreign workers help to create more jobs for Singaporeans – when did the flood gates start to open for foreign workers in Singapore?”
When did the flood gates open for foreign workers?
It is an interesting question. So, I googled to try to find the answer.
2000 – 2005: locals’ jobs increased 171,900 vs 7,300 foreign jobs?
From 2000 to 2005 – employment growth (“Working Persons Aged 15 Years and Over by Residential Status”) for locals (PRs and citizens) was 171,900, or an increase of 8.2 per cent, from 2,094,800 in 2000 to 2,266,700 in 2005.
In contrast, the employment growth for foreigners (non-residents) was only 7,300, or an increase of only 1.2 per cent, from 612,200 in 2000 to 619,500 in 2005.
376,800 locals’ jobs and 701,900 foreigners’ jobs from 2006 to 2016?
And then, (I calculated from the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Summary Table: Labour Force) for the next 10 years, from 2006 to 2016 – the employment growth for locals and foreigners was 376,800 and 701,900, respectively.
| Mid-Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2007a | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Labour Force (‘000) | 2,594.1 | 2,750.5 | 2,710.3 | 2,939.9 | 3,030.0 | 3,135.9 | 3,237.1 | 3,3 61.8 | 3,443.7 | 3,530.8 | 3,610.6 | 3,672.8 |
| Resident Labour Force (‘000) | 1,880.8 | 1,918.1 | 1,878.0 | 1,928.3 | 1,985.7 | 2,047.3 | 2,080.1 | 2,119.6 | 2,138.8 | 2,185.2 | 2,232.3 | 2,257.6
|
How many of the 376,800 locals’ jobs were S’poreans?
So, how many of the “locals” (PRs and citizens) employment growth of 376,800 went to Singaporeans, since 467,659 new PRs and 208,840 new citizens were granted in the same period from 2006 to 2016?
2005 – 52,000 new PRs and 12,000 new citizens granted?
It is also interesting to note that in 2005 – 52,000 new PRs and 12,000 new citizens were granted.
The flood gates opened in 2005?
So, the answer to the question – when did the flood gates start to open for foreign workers? I guess it may probably be around the year 2005.
Leong Sze Hian
