• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Foreign PMET number up 77% over last 5 years

by Andrew Loh
01/04/2015
in Current Affairs
Reading Time: 3 mins read
5

According to the Ministry of Manpower [Link], the size of the foreign workforce continues to increase. At the end of last year, the total foreign workforce stood at 1.36 million:

pmet1

The total number of work permit holders is approaching 1 million, of which one-third are construction workers:

pmet2

This untramelled increase has forced the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to adopt a new policy of encouraging contractors to rely more on skilled workers so as to increase productivity.

In tenders for new projects, the LTA has specified that only highly-skilled workers be employed for reinforced concrete work, for example.

The LTA is implementing the new policy with 2 contracts for the new Thomson-East Coast MRT line.

An LTA spokesman said the move was “part of the national effort to raise construction productivity and to reduce dependency on low-skilled foreign workers”.

She added, “At the same time, we aim to get industry support to raise the quality and skill level of the workforce by encouraging more workers to upgrade their skills through re-training.

“In the longer term, the improvement in the skill level of workers should translate into higher productivity, better pay and thus improve the cost efficiency of projects.”

Number of foreign PMETs continues to increase

Meanwhile, the number of foreign PMETs (EP and S Pass holders) continues to increase unabated. In the last 5 years since 2009, the number of foreign PMETs has risen 77% from 197,000 to 349,000 (as at end 2014).

Even after the last general election in 2011 – when the governing PAP received the lowest percentage of valid votes in the history of Singapore – the number still increased by 21% from 289,300 to 349,000, over the last 3 years.

pmet3

Indeed, many foreign PMETs are grateful to the Singapore government for helping them to land a job in Singapore.

At the funeral procession of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew last Sunday (29 Mar), Kirrily Hoare, 38, an Australian expatriate who has been working in Singapore for 18 months, patiently waited by the road for Mr Lee’s hearse to pass by.

She told the media, “Nothing will deter us on this day. I am here to pay my last respects to a great man who made this possible and welcomed me to his country.”

Sadly though, more local PMETs, especially the older ones, are finding it difficult to get suitable work in Singapore. Many end up underemployed – driving a taxi or working as a security guard.

Even younger Singaporeans in the their early 30s are driving taxis, a phenomenon seldom seen in the past.

Perhaps Singaporeans should thank LTA for not giving foreigners a licence to drive taxis.

What do you think?

*This article was first published on TR Emeritus.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Tags: featured

Related Posts

Current Affairs

China cannot be absent: Xi Jinping, in new year message

01/01/2016
Current Affairs

Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss launches Mountbatten Manifesto

31/08/2015
Current Affairs

AHPETC Chairman’s Review

31/08/2015
Current Affairs

Is the “controversial” AHPETC management fee really that controversial?

31/08/2015
Current Affairs

Workers’ Party releases video of candidates

31/08/2015
Commentaries

Is the PAP really listening, or just hearing us?

31/08/2015
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
5 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

India’s Modi hits back at opposition after Adani furore

08/02/2023
Pritam Singh’s speech on HDB affordability and accessibility

Pritam Singh’s speech on HDB affordability and accessibility

08/02/2023
Taiwan 34th Lantern Festival celebration signifies return to pre-pandemic normalcy

Taiwan 34th Lantern Festival celebration signifies return to pre-pandemic normalcy

08/02/2023
Six dead and eight injured in accident at Genting Highlands

Six dead and eight injured in accident at Genting Highlands

08/02/2023

Close to 70% of working Singaporeans above age of 65 earns less than S$2,500 a month

08/02/2023
Minister K Shanmugam appears to lack understanding of case where judge found bodycam footage debunked police officers’ sworn affidavits

Police investigations into conduct of WP’s Pritam Singh and Faisal Manap still ongoing: K Shanmugam

08/02/2023
Malaysia’s seven-time Asean Para Games champion seen selling tissues at Bukit Bintang

Malaysia’s seven-time Asean Para Games champion seen selling tissues at Bukit Bintang

08/02/2023
53-year-old Singaporean worker dies after glass doors topple on him, fourth workplace fatality in 2023

53-year-old Singaporean worker dies after glass doors topple on him, fourth workplace fatality in 2023

08/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
113

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
13

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

by Yee Loon
06/02/2023
4

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
48

...

19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

by Yee Loon
06/02/2023
5

...

April 2015
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Mar   May »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz