By Sue-Ann Chia, Senior Political Correspondent

WORKERS should continue to brace themselves for tough times ahead as the global economy has yet to hit the bottom and more layoffs are likely, labour chief Lim Swee Say has said.

In a sombre May Day message, he said the battle to manage the fallout from the economic downturn 'is far from over'.

He also said that the rebound, when it comes, is not expected to be strong: 'This means we will not only see negative growth during the downturn, but also slower growth when the recovery comes.

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