S'pore Only Nation With High Growth, Job Creation

Source : The Business Times, January 30, 2008

Lim Swee Say cites Economist report; NTUC to help 8,000 unemployed workers get jobs

SINGAPORE was the only country in the world to post high economic growth and low unemployment in 2007. The labour movement here wants Singapore to at least keep up with this achievement in 2008, as it unveiled its work plan yesterday for the new year.

Despite global uncertainties and the threat of a recession in the United States in 2008, Lim Swee Say, secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), said that the strong economic gains made in the past few years have built up a healthy pipeline of jobs to provide some buffer against a global downturn and carry workers through the year.

He noted that Singapore has continued to take in foreign workers, indicating that there are more than enough jobs to go around for all.

'We are in a much better position than many countries,' Mr Lim told reporters at a press conference.

Earlier, in an address to unionists, the NTUC chief cited a study reported in The Economist, which showed that out of 56 countries, including fast-growing economies like China and India, Singapore was the only one in 2007 to have achieved high economic growth and created enough jobs for its workers.

China, which probably chalked up the world's highest economic growth of 11.5 per cent in 2007, has an unemployment rate of 9.5 per cent. Some 25 countries, among them India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea, fell into this category of high growth but insufficient jobs last year.

Another 25 countries, including the United States, Japan, Germany and Taiwan, were marked by low economic growth but high unemployment. Five countries, among them Norway, Thailand and Switzerland, while low in economic growth, were able produce plenty of jobs.

'Singapore did exceedingly well in 2007,' said Mr Lim who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

On the labour union front, he ticked off the lowest number of lay-offs since 1993; a sharp drop in worker grievances; the biggest pay rise in three years; and a 17-year-high bonus of 4.42 months' salary.

According to Mr Lim, to help keep unemployment low this year, the NTUC will work closely with the government and employers to find work for some 8,000 jobless workers, up from 7,757 in 2007.

Through various employment-help programmes like Job Re-Creation, Place and Train and Careerlink, the labour movement hopes to place some 7,000 unemployed.

It will also help another 1,000 mature professionals, managers, executives and technicians under the Professional Conversion Programme to shift to new careers in logistics, tourism and call centres.

The NTUC also wants to raise the employment rate through re-employment, re-deployment and back-to-work initiatives. Specifically, it wants to help mature Singaporeans to stay employed; workers hit by business restructuring to keep their jobs; and housewives who want to return to work.

In all, the NTUC is setting its sights on 8,000 Singaporeans in this category, up from 4,311 in 2007.

Lastly, the labour movement wants to extend its help to those who are under-employed - those working but earning low pay. It will help them boost their skills and secure better jobs and better pay.