Jobs for the Singaporean – Mr Gan Kim Yong

“We may not be able to create as many jobs as last year, but I think there will be jobs created for Singaporeans.  That is the bottom line,” said Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower. 

Mr Gan was undaunted despite the slowing down of the economy, resulting in slower pace of job creation.  “It’s not just a numbers, game.  We have to look at the quality of the jobs we create going forward”, he said.  The job marked is at a “turning point” after hitting record high last year, with resulting low unemployment levels. 

“It may be impossible to top that, but the key is to maintain the momentum”, he added.  To do so, “we will have to shift gear, look at different ways of creating opportunities for Singaporeans”.

During the interview with Strait Times, he mapped out the Manpower Policy Master Plan. 

The first was to have a “Flexible and Responsive” labour market that provides sufficient workers during boom times and minimizes job losses for Singaporeans in bad times.

The second is to forge a “Dynamic and Forward-looking” environment that helps them move up the skills and job ladder through training, and prepares them for jobs in growth areas like services.

The third is to build a “Progressive and Inclusive” workforce by looking at issues like work-life balance, safety and health and retirement income.

There are still ongoing issues:  “Retaining older workers in their jobs, lifting the wages of low-income earners and striking a balance between foreign and Singaporean workers here,” he said.

When asked about the tasks ahead, he responded:”They don’t give me headaches.  So long as our strategy is clear, we can systematically address these issues.”