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Foreigners
one-third of Singapore workforce
Agence
France-Presse
01 Feb
08
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080131
Foreigners
made up one-third of Singapore's workforce last year and the
jobless rate eased to a 10-year low in the fourth quarter, the
government said Thursday.
Foreign employment rose by a new
high of 144,500 last year and as of December there were 900,800
workers from overseas, accounting for 33 percent of the 2.73
million people employed, the Ministry of Manpower said in a press
release.
"Foreign employment rose by a new high of
144,500 in 2007, enabling the economy to grow beyond the limits
of Singapore's indigenous workforce," it said.
Singapore's
strong economy has lured overseas workers who fill everything
from construction jobs to white collar and service work.
The
unemployment rate was 1.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis
in the three months to December, compared with 1.7 percent in the
previous quarter, the ministry said.
Preliminary ministry
figures showed employment grew by 64,200 in the December quarter,
bringing total hirings for 2007 to a record 236,600.
The
previous record was 176,000 set in 2006.
"The strong
economy led to another record breaking year for employment
creation in 2007," the ministry said.
Job gains were
broadly-based, with the services sector recording the biggest
rise of 144,100 for the year, it said.
Singapore's economy
grew 7.5 percent in 2007. Faced with a slowing US economy, which
is a key market for Singapore exports, growth of 4.5-6.5 percent
is expected this year, according to government forecasts.
The
city-state had a population of 4.68 million last year, including
one million foreigners, according to official statistics.
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