Singapore Expects to Bring In 100,000 More Foreign Workers

Filed in archive Asia on July 16, 2010

© StarvingFox

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Singapore will likely be needing an influx of at least 1000,000 foreign workers for the remainder of this year, fuelled by the country's record economic growth. Global crisis? Looks like it didn't hit Singapore at all, where economy is expected to grow 13%-15% until the end of the year. This puts Singapore as the fastest-growing economy in Asia, and possibly the world.

Mr Lee said that although the government had taken steps to moderate the number of foreign workers, foreign worker influx was inevitable given the strong growth. Just a couple of months ago, it has mandated an increase in the foreign worker levies that employers must pay for work permits issued to foreign employees.

''But even with that, I would imagine there would be more than 100,000 extra foreign workers this year. I cannot see it otherwise. We have to accept that.'

Judging by the commentaries following the article, locals seem to be getting irate, and feel that it is tight enough as it is, competing as they are with foreign workers and immigrants for space, opportunities and limited resources in an island city like Singapore.