Working in the digital age: a look ahead for Singapore

WORKING-AGE people in Singapore can count themselves lucky. Sluggish growth has caused unemployment to rise in many countries, but Singapore has jobless rates of just 2 to 3 per cent for citizens and residents - better than any Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nation. The Ministry of Manpower's second-quarter report did show that the weak global economy could be taking a toll on Singapore with the first quarter in four years showing unemployed people outnumbered job openings. Overall though, Singapore's labour market has been more resilient than that of many other developed countries.

This resilience is also apparent in how the market for talent is evolving. The National Trades Union Congress held its first job fair for freelancers in September, offering talks by experienced freelancers and introductions to digital platforms where freelance workers can offer their services to prospective employers.

The Ministry of Manpower has announced it will overhaul and relaunch its online marketplace for jobs with an emphasis on technology-focused positions - and eventually use data from the site to forecast changes in the labour market. And between January and August this year, some 80,000 people used their SkillsFuture credit to pay for training programmes.