Subscribe
Opinion
Daniel Moss, Columnist
March 1, 2024 at 6:00 AM GMT+8
By Daniel Moss
Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. Previously, he was executive editor for economics at Bloomberg News.
Looking for opportunities abroad.
Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg
Never mind the legions of imported bankers, engineers, stevedores and nannies. Singapore's attraction for these pillars of a successful hub is well documented. However, it obscures the country's shifting labor needs.
The next front in the battle to recruit, and retain, talent doesn't target elite brains or sweaty brawn, but reflects its profile as a rapidly aging society. The new hot commodity is healthcare.
Singapore's punishing demography, and the need to address it, was underscored Wednesday when a minister revealed that a key measure of fertility tumbled to yet another record low.
Japan and South Korea are the poster children for this type of decline, rich economies that aren't churning out enough kids even as the ranks of seniors multiply. More recently, China's dwindling population added to the gloom surrounding the former juggernaut. Singapore gives them a run for their money.
Opinion
Daniel Moss, Columnist
Singapore Is Bracing for a Super-Aging Society
Special bonuses for nurses in the city-state nod to big population challenges confronting Asia.March 1, 2024 at 6:00 AM GMT+8
By Daniel Moss
Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. Previously, he was executive editor for economics at Bloomberg News.
Looking for opportunities abroad.
Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg
Never mind the legions of imported bankers, engineers, stevedores and nannies. Singapore's attraction for these pillars of a successful hub is well documented. However, it obscures the country's shifting labor needs.
The next front in the battle to recruit, and retain, talent doesn't target elite brains or sweaty brawn, but reflects its profile as a rapidly aging society. The new hot commodity is healthcare.
Singapore's punishing demography, and the need to address it, was underscored Wednesday when a minister revealed that a key measure of fertility tumbled to yet another record low.
Japan and South Korea are the poster children for this type of decline, rich economies that aren't churning out enough kids even as the ranks of seniors multiply. More recently, China's dwindling population added to the gloom surrounding the former juggernaut. Singapore gives them a run for their money.
