In the latest Q2 employment report, Singapore’s citizen unemployment rate rose to a nine-month high of 3.1%. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) however openly lied that unemployment increased not because more people are unemployed, but “more people are looking for work”:
“The higher unemployment comes as more people entered the labour force to look for work on the back of continued expansion in economic activities” and remains lower than a year ago.”
As of June 2018, there are 59,800 Singapore citizens unemployed, and retrenchment jumped 30.6% to 3,030. Although more Singaporean citizens are losing jobs, total employment increased by 6,500, indicating that more jobs are going to foreigners.
2018Q2 Job Vacancies from MOM report
2018Q2 Unemployment rate from MOM report
According to MOM, there are still more job vacancies than job seekers despite rising unemployment rate, at 108 vacancies per 100 unemployed. The government was unable to explain its statistics – which comes as no surprise as the MOM has a poor track record of providing accurate statistics.
The current Manpower Minister is Josephine Teo, who since her appointment in May, has not given an address on the prolonged unemployment climate.