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By Andrew Loh
The current debate over jobs – who should these go to – stems from some murky and dubious claims by different sides. Let’s take a look at two simple issues – how many jobs have gone to Singaporeans and foreigners; and what kinds of jobs these are.
Ten years ago, in 2003, three economists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), released a report which said that “three out of four new jobs in Singapore were taken up by foreigners in the last five years.” (See here.)
The three were former National Wages Council chairman, Professor Lim Chong Yah, Dr Tan Khee Giap and Dr Chen Kang.
“Out of four jobs created, only one job went to a Singapore resident, three jobs went to the intake of foreign workers,” Professor Lim the NTU’s Nanyang Business School said then.
The NTU report drew a sharp response from the then Acting Minister for Manpower, Ng Eng Hen, who said that the academics were “way off the mark”.
“If your figures are wrong, it is irresponsible, unprofessional to put out those figures. In this particular case, the NTU report, their findings are way off the mark. I do not know how they got their figures and what their methods are,” said Dr Ng.
He described the claims by the NTU economists “sensationalistic”.
Dr Ng said that in fact “nine in 10 new jobs” had gone to Singaporeans and residents, and “only one went to a foreigner.”
- http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2013/10/where-are-the-good-jobs-prime-minister
The current debate over jobs – who should these go to – stems from some murky and dubious claims by different sides. Let’s take a look at two simple issues – how many jobs have gone to Singaporeans and foreigners; and what kinds of jobs these are.
Ten years ago, in 2003, three economists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), released a report which said that “three out of four new jobs in Singapore were taken up by foreigners in the last five years.” (See here.)
The three were former National Wages Council chairman, Professor Lim Chong Yah, Dr Tan Khee Giap and Dr Chen Kang.
“Out of four jobs created, only one job went to a Singapore resident, three jobs went to the intake of foreign workers,” Professor Lim the NTU’s Nanyang Business School said then.
The NTU report drew a sharp response from the then Acting Minister for Manpower, Ng Eng Hen, who said that the academics were “way off the mark”.
“If your figures are wrong, it is irresponsible, unprofessional to put out those figures. In this particular case, the NTU report, their findings are way off the mark. I do not know how they got their figures and what their methods are,” said Dr Ng.
He described the claims by the NTU economists “sensationalistic”.
Dr Ng said that in fact “nine in 10 new jobs” had gone to Singaporeans and residents, and “only one went to a foreigner.”
- http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2013/10/where-are-the-good-jobs-prime-minister
