US firms concerned about costs in S'pore: survey

[SINGAPORE] US companies in Singapore continue to have major concerns about the costs of labour, housing and office space here with more of them dissatisfied than before.

According to the latest survey by the US Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore), up to 53 per cent of respondents said that finding low cost labour in Singapore was a key concern, more than the 48 per cent who felt so last year.

Within the region, US businesses found that the problem of finding cheap labour existed only in Singapore. The survey in the other nine Asean countries showed that the respondents there indicated the availability of low cost labour as a strength rather than a concern.