Foreign workers to drive job growth in 2022 as Singapore economy reopens

NON-RESIDENT job growth is expected to outpace local employment gains in 2022, analysts have told The Business Times, even as the tight Singapore labour market should add jobs across the board through the year, on the back of a broad domestic and border reopening.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Thursday (Apr 28) said an ongoing economic recovery will drive demand for workers, helping resident employment to “continue to grow modestly”.

Selena Ling, chief economist at OCBC, noted that the labour market faces both an ongoing rollout of wage ladders aimed at local workers, as well as strict foreign manpower policies.