Singaporeans should believe that foreign workers bring opportunities

DESPITE recent statistics showing improving economic growth, Singapore's employment figures - especially structural unemployment - are expected to worsen as various sectors of the economy restructure.

Singapore's structural unemployment is mainly due to a skills mismatch and also the attitudes of employers and aspiring employees. Firstly, labour policies requiring employers to fulfil foreign worker quotas might have made it difficult for firms to hire the best-suited staff.

Secondly, the sluggish economic outlook might have led many employees to refrain from leaving their jobs for other work that better suits their skillsets. These bring about economic inefficiencies that ar…