BOOSTED by a strong economy, Singapore created a record-busting number of jobs last year - with a third of them going to foreigners because there were just not enough locals to fill them.
Amid strong hiring in the services sector, unemployment also fell to a 10-year, prompting employers to turn to foreigners for six in ten of these jobs, up from five in ten the previous year.
But Singaporeans and permanent residents, as well as foreigners, gained from the boom, said the Manpower Ministry in its latest employment report released on Thursday.
The economy added 236,600 jobs, up from 176,000 jobs in the previous year. This is an 11-year high.
Of these, 92,100 jobs went to locals last year, up from 90,900 the previous year.
This is the third successive year that local job creation has set record highs.
But the local share of total jobs created dropped from 52 per cent in 2006 to 39 per cent last year, 'given the limits to the growth of Singapore's indigenous workforce and the larger base of jobs created', the ministry said.
Foreign employment rose by 144,500 last year, 'enabling the economy to grow beyond the limits of Singapore's indigenous workforce', it said.
As at last December, one in three workers here - or 900,800 - were foreigners.
National University of Singapore labour economist Park Cheolsung said it was not surprising that more jobs went to foreigners, who fill everything from construction, to white collar and service work.
'The labour market situation is so rosy that most Singaporeans should have jobs if they want to,' Prof Park said.
'For many companies, turning to foreigners is the only way they can find workers right now.'
The services sector contributed 144,100 more jobs, boosted by the rapid increase in hiring across a wide range of industries, led by financial and professional services.
The construction sector added 49,000 workers, double that of the previous year.
Manufacturing employment also rose, by 49,900, spurred by strong demand in marine and offshore engineering.
Overall unemployment averaged 2.1 per cent, down from 2.7 per cent the previous year. Unemployment among Singaporeans and permanent residents also fell, to 3 per cent from 3.6 per cent the previous year. On both counts, unemployment is at its lowest in a decade.
On average, 56,900 residents were unemployed last year, down from 67,600 the previous year.
Similarly, retrenchment fell to a 14-year low: 7,200 workers were laid off, down from 12,603 the previous year.
The bulk of lay-offs came from the manufacturing sector, reflecting the ongoing restructuring in the electronics industry.
