Resident employment rebounds, but retrenchments still rising

Figure of 2.34 million is close to that in December 2019; non-resident employment took brunt of pandemic impact

Sharon See

Published Fri, Oct 30, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Singapore

ALTHOUGH Singapore's resident employment levels bucked the trend and recovered to near pre-pandemic levels in September, the labour market is expected to remain weak in the months ahead.

Resident employment stood at 2.34 million in September, recovering from 2.29 million in June and inching closer to the pre-Covid-19 level of 2.36 million seen in December 2019, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Friday.

During a media briefing, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said the growth in resident employment is partly attributed to the resumption of activities as Singapore began its phased reopening, after the Republic's "circuit breaker" per…