45.4% of Workers in Singapore Are Foreigners
May 2nd, 2012
Two years ago, we estimated that 44% of Singapore’s workforce are non-citizens.
Well, we were wrong.
The actual figure is 45.4%, a little higher than our estimate!
Published in today’s Business Times are the numbers for the breakdown of our labour force as at June 2010:
There were 1,712,600 Singaporeans (“citizens”), 334,700 permanent residents (“PRs”) and 1,088,600 foreigners in the labour force as at June 2010.
If we group PRs together with foreigners — rightfully so because PRs aren’t citizens if you ask me — there are a total of 1,423,300 non-citizens among the total workforce of 3,135,900 workers.
1423300 / 3135900 = 45.39%
So, non-citizen foreigners make up 45.4% of Singapore’s workforce.
Well, to an extent, gotta agree .. it does breed the image that doctors screwed up, when the...
45.4% workers are foreigners in Singapore - Salary.sg Forums Says:
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:09 pm
[...] 45.4% workers are foreigners in Singapore See our main article: 45.4% of Workers in Singapore Are Foreigners | Salary.sg – Your Salary in Singapore [...]
kojakbt Says:
May 3rd, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Hi,
Are you ok if I re-post this info on TRE?
Thx!
admin Says:
May 3rd, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Sure. Please include a link back to this site. Thanks!
Asia Singapore Says:
May 3rd, 2012 at 10:02 pm
These numbers do not include work permit holders I guess? Because just the number of work-permit holders, who are foreigners, are 871,000!
Asia Singapore Says:
May 3rd, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Ignore my message above. I have thought 400,000+ is the total number of foreign workers but infact it is the change.
Anon Says:
May 4th, 2012 at 7:22 am
Your figures are 2 years old. I think it’s > 50% now. Just take MRT to see for yourself. Ask Lui Tuk Yew too, who takes it once in a blue moon for wayang.
And when government talks about graciousness, I’m sure it’s aware that half the uncouth people here foreigners, all things equal. Though I think it’s likely to be more than half.
money no enough Says:
May 4th, 2012 at 10:17 am
likely or not now, it is guarantee to more than half soon.
for all the SG old foggies out there, pls read the reports these few days, it is time to widen the floodgates some more, cos money no enough !
kojakbt Says:
May 4th, 2012 at 11:12 am
It has been published. Thx!
http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/05/0...
Anon Says:
May 4th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
They should further break down the citizen number by country of birth, male / female, and if male whether served NS (if not, why not?)
Boy Says:
May 6th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/view-press...
Good article. Will never be published in BT or ST.
To admin Says:
May 15th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Hi admin
if u take away the army & gahmen service, what is the %?
Public Says:
May 17th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
“The Singapore public service is the country’s largest employer, with 120,000 officers serving in 15 Ministries and over 60 public organisations.”
Not sure if SAF is included.
Source:
http://www.contactsingapore.sg/indu...
Chelsey Young Says:
May 17th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
I am forever grateful to Singapore. It opened it’s doors to foreigners like me.
poseur Says:
May 28th, 2012 at 9:54 am
Where can i read the full article featured in this post?
Dude... Says:
May 31st, 2012 at 1:30 pm
http://www.indexmundi.com/singapore...
Unemployment rate: 2.2% (2010 est.)
That means even with virtually all Singaporeans in the workforce, without the foreigners half of the services/goods provided will be lost.
Don’t create xenophobic tensions please.
Jimbo Says:
September 18th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
I have worked all over Europe, the America’s and some parts of East Asia, and honestly I have never experienced such negativity against foreigners as I do in Singapore. If you look at your unemployment rate and your country can not do without foreigners anymore! After all many of you have maids, they are foreigners, your countries infrastructure is being built by cheap foreigners because the Singapore work force does not want the low end jobs, hotels, shops, public trans. I am in a fortunate position where I hire and meet people and to be quite frank if the skills are comparable I always offer Singaporean’s interviews before foreigners despite being a foreigner myself, as I feel that it is my social responsibility to Singapore, yet I can honestly say that on average only 2 out of 10 Singaporean’s attend the interview, no call to cancel or any word as to why they can’t attend. With that level of professionalism and respect for potential employers what is an employer supposed to do?
I must say I truly came to Singapore because of the people, the culture and environment, I took a drop in salary and changed my personal life style from living in a landed property to an apartment, all on the strength that money is not my motivator, personal well being and a friendly environment was paramount. I must say Singapore, the change that I have seen over the past six years is sad, I have personally been verbally abused by a Singaporean just because I am a foreigner, I have personally seen Singaporean children victimize foreign kids in the playground, and let’s be honest this will only get worse unless we all work together to do something about it!
I really hope that those of you that consider yourselves to be educated or have common sense really start to realize that in the long run all this hatred, social cleansing and what could be considered in some corners of the world racism, will hurt yourselves and your children’s futures.
J1568 Says:
September 18th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Hi Jimbo,
Don’t worry, the hateful comments are spewed forth by a relatively small group of online trolls who are screwed even if they aren’t in competition with foreign talents, due to their lack of ability/ ambition. they either don’t have a job or are stuck in a low-paying crappy job hence they have plenty of time to spew vitriolic xenophobia on the internet.
Racist xenophobic scum like these exist everywhere, not just in Singapore.
The majority of us Singaporeans still welcome our foreign friends and are happy that you have come to work and hopefully make your home here to make a truly cosmopolitan Singapore.
Hope this reassures your fears.
Foreigner: Xenophobia will hurt you and your children’s future | Singapore Daily News Says:
September 18th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
[...] [Source]: http://www.salary.sg/2012/45-percen... [...]
eremarf Says:
September 19th, 2012 at 11:05 am
Hi Jimbo
I don’t think you’re seeing the bigger picture here in Singapore. And perhaps the rest of the world.
All of us are now held hostage by international corporations/finance. They can move anywhere in the world and force global labour prices down. They are rich enough to exert political influence. Which they use to get away with financial fraud and engineering structural unemployment (via austerity), defeat labour unions, impoverish and disempower ordinary people, and pillage the public estate. (Think of what the Occupy movement is about.)
Basically, all of us can be exploited in such a world. Some few of us will be “winners” (in a contorted sense), while the rest will suffer miserably as losers. Is this a good way to organise our societies? I don’t think so.
Singaporeans are basically reacting to the symptoms of such phenomena. They’re really more worried about putting food on the table, roofs over their heads, sending their children to school and giving them a good future. What they’re actually upset about is the growing wealth divide, their declining standards of living, etc, which is partly to do with massive immigration, but also partly to do with surging inequality.
Remember, when times were good, Singaporeans had no problems with foreigners.
Jay Says:
September 19th, 2012 at 11:12 am
@Jimbo
“Only 2 out of 10 Singaporean attend the interview”? I find that hard to believe without any back up information. You made a sweeping statement against Singaporeans and I can conclude that you are the one who is Xenophobic.
eremarf Says:
September 19th, 2012 at 11:24 am
I realise I come across as condoning the vitriol and hate against foreigners. I didn’t mean to.
Singaporeans are overall rather an unsophisticated lot. Our education system, our rapid modernisation, has resulted in this. Many of us now in the workforce have parents who had little to no education. Our governments have de-emphasised thinking and questioning in schools. In fact, we open up places at the university and polytechnics based not on people’s aspirations, or even on industrial demand, but rather based on our government’s notion of how they want our industrial landscape to be.
It is an embarrassing truth, but it is the truth. Singaporeans are kindof ugly in some ways. I wish more of us were nicer people too (but I don’t mean we ought to be doormats – and I respect (at least the spirit though not the method) that Singaporeans are fighting in the ways they know to reclaim ownership of THEIR home and country).
sg_er Says:
September 20th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
it is not only the de-emphasis on thinking and questioning.
Now in the ongoing national conversation, we are even told by the top, not to speak up, if we ourselves do not know of the solutions to issues that we raise ! What is the whole purpose of this conversation / discussion ??
ted Says:
November 11th, 2012 at 12:41 am
@Jimbo
“Only 2 out of 10 Singaporean attend the interview”?
Could it be because the pay is too low to support a family of 4 perhaps thats why singaporeans are less willing to take up the job?
Guest Says:
April 28th, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Hi Jimbo, how do you feel if your country has 50% foreigner in the workforce. And how will your countrymen feels?
Second, if you are now >40, how will you feel if your government accepts to open flood gates to those younger than you without commitment to compete with you that have to support aging parents??