Singapore's overall unemployment unchanged at 1.9%

SINGAPORE'S overall unemployment rate remained unchanged at 1.9 per cent in March 2016, with declines seen among residents and citizens.

Findings from a labour market report released by the Ministry of Manpower on Monday showed unemployment for residents declined to 2.7 per cent from 2.9 per cent, and from 3 per cent to 2.6 per cent for citizens.

The long-term unemployment rate for residents out of work for 25 weeks or more rose to 0.7 per cent from 0.5 per cent.

Total employment grew by 13,000 in the first quarter of 2016, lower than the seasonal high growth of 16,100 in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Even though total employment growth in Q1 2016 was a reversal from the decline of 6,100 in the same period last year, it was significantly lower than 2013 and 2014.

Some 4,710 workers were made redundant in Q1 2016, the highest Q1 redundancies since 2009, although this was lower than 5,370 for the preceding quarter.

Forty-six per cent of residents made redundant in Q4 2015 re-entered employment by March 2016, down from 50 per cent in the previous quarter and the lowest since June 2009.