Increase in job ads, but are they for Singaporeans or foreigners?
Written by Our Correspondent
According to the latest Robert Walters Asia Job Index report, employer confidence has returned in Singapore with all its banks hiring again.
Besides the financial industry, IT, fast moving consumer goods, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors continue to employ “top talent” in Singapore.
The Manpower Ministry claimed that the unemployment rate for locals have decreased to 3 per cent, but the exact figure for Singapore citizens remains unknown since “locals” include both citizens and PRs.
Neither does the figure includes those on contract jobs or have given up looking for a job altogether and therefore can be considered as unemployed technically.
A quick search on Singapore’s online job portals reveals that quite a substantial number of ads are looking specifically for foreigners:
Some job portals like gumtree resembles more like those in China than in Singapore:
The above job ad is seeking for PRC or Malaysian Chinese to fill the position of bakery and kitchen supervisor.
This is not a position requiring special skills nor will Singaporeans shun it and so why are foreigners preferred over Singaporeans?
In the second ad above, the employer is looking for a PRC candidate to become a sales promoter and one condition is that he/she must speak English! Won’t the employer stand a higher chance of finding a Singaporean who can speak English?
The company above is looking specifically for a China driver with valid Singapore driving licence. It will be easier if it recruits Singaporeans instead. Are workers from China better drivers than Singaporeans.
Such discriminatory ads against Singaporeans are ubiquitous throughout Singapore’s online job portals. Though MOM forbids such ads, they are still put up either overtly or covertly (in the form of euphemisms) to recruit foreign workers.
While other countries like Australia are cracking down on migrant workers to protect the livelihoods of their own citizens, the ruling party of Singapore continues to welcome foreigners.
Ministry of Youth Development, Community and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said lately that the government cannot “shield” Singaporeans from competition with foreigners though it will “try” to equip them with the skills to do so.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said last year that there will be no “turnaround” in the ruling party’s pro-foreigner policy and that the number of foreign workers may actually increase in the next few years.
With more than one third of Singapore’s populations being foreigners and an undisclosed number of the “local” workforce being PRs, it matters little to Singaporeans if the number of job ads are actually increasing or decreasing.
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chopchop on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:27 am
Send it to Halimah Yacob for her attention.
D on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:43 am
Whats hilarious is that our national newspaper actually ran an article on how “Discriminatory job ads” are on the decline citing a massive decrease in percentage of admission requirements in job ads made in the -print media-.
Now this doesnt make sense does it? 3-5 years ago you will NEVER see an ad requesting specifically PRC / Malaysian candidates, the answer is really, right in front of us, when it comes to citizenship theres no discrimination. Discrimination is only counted by race / language spoken / location etc, as long as you are in Singapore, PR, citizen, whatever, you are fair game.
Citizen on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:50 am
If the powers-to-be do NOTHING, it means that it is ok to discriminate against Singaporeans. It happened and its bad, lets move on……
LocalChineseGuy on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:58 am
Can we just put up this article on all major SG forums and news site. Let all SGreans (locally born and bred)see with their own eyes where we stand in the eyes of the MIW.
LIONS ROAR on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 10:11 am
It’s strange!
The elites seem to think that singaporeans are not up to the decent jobs available except themselves.
Perhaps,they should be reminded that they are in fact the ones who do not measure up to their jobs? After causing so much disruption to the domestic economy and massive unemployment and losing so much of our taxpayers’ money,they should really be replaced?
Maybe,some of them should become taxi-drivers or cleaners after so much boo-boo?
The Sim on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 10:21 am
I hire a china driver, and 1 local from Comfort Delgro. For every 1 trip the comfort bus run, the china guy finished 2.
Whats the business to do?
and the local guy like to curse and swear at other car when he drive.
lam on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 10:52 am
HYPOCRITES WILL BE HYPOCRITES!
bunchofwankers on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 11:14 am
@ The Sim
It is not right to say just because 1 case proved that a foreigner is more productive than a local that it becomes a truth. It all depends on the individuals.
We have antidiscriminatory laws, ie can’t fire pregnant woman, can’t say sexist things. Equally it would be discriminatory to deny anyone the right to be considered for a job simply because of his race, religion, sex or nationality.
It is illegal in developed countries (with the exception of SG) to explicitly state the nationality of applicants required for a job. Legal action would have been taken against such companies. It is only in SG that the locals are so OPENLY DISCRIMINATELY against without any consequences.
Anonymous on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 11:28 am
Thanks Vivian for reminding us that the PAP is a government that cannot “shield” Singaporeans from competition with foreigners. We will vote in another government that can.
The Jackal on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 12:05 pm
“Ministry of Youth Development, Community and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said lately that the government cannot “shield” Singaporeans from competition with foreigners though it will “try” to equip them with the skills to do so.”
——————
How can the government “shield” Singaporeans from competition when the government is offering jobs DIRECTLY to foreigners within government agencies ?
sturmtruppen on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 3:00 pm
…and to add those foreigners within the government agencies will rather protect their own or bring in their own…so how about the singaporeans?
How? Why is this happening? What! Who is responsible?
Up to you to know and do the right thing when the right time appear…and you will know it then it is the only time to act for the peoples of singapore.
http://www.quotationspage.com/search.php3?Search=&Author=Johann+Wolfgang+von+Goethe&C=coles&C=lindsly&C=poorc&C=net&C=devils&C=contrib&page=5
The Sim01 on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 4:04 pm
The Jackal which agency are you referring to?
Be careful
Incredulous on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 5:44 pm
To The Sim on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 10:21 am
Maybe because your PRC driver drove like the one in the below link:
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/motoring_goondus/307122/ntu_bus_knocks_elderly_woman_off_bike_what_can_be_done.html
The local driver was probably a slower driver as he was mindful about Singapore Traffic Laws. And he can’t afford to get demerit points and lose his job.
And maybe he curse and swear at other drivers, because he was formerly a taxi driver?
Jokes aside;
There are good and and drivers regardless of nationality. If you are happy with your PRC driver, so be it. But, just because you had a bad experience with one local driver does not mean all local drivers are bad.
The Jackal on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 6:26 pm
The Sim01 on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 4:04 pm
The MONETARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE – Asst Director / Associate /…. (05 Feb 2010)
Go to JOBSTREET SINGAPORE portal, click on JOBS IN SINGAPORE FOR FOREIGNERS,
click on Filipino
The Jackal on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 6:28 pm
The Sim01,
Click on this link
http://job-search.jobstreet.com.sg/singapore/job-opening.php?location=70000&nationality=170&src=22
uyo on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 12:45 pm
Can we get a report anywhere that shows the breakdown of jobs given to native-born Citizens, New Citizens, PR and foreigners?
meiling on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 1:02 pm
On one hand, I think Jobstreet should seriously consider the removal of classification by nationality ‘cos this is blatant disregard for native born-and-bred Citizens.
On the other hand, I think it’s good to state at the outset that jobs are not meant for Citizens so that they will not waste their time and money to apply for those jobs.
However, I still feel that employers operating on Singapore soil should not give priorities to foreigners.