Recruitment and strategic workforce planning in Singapore: Solutions for an era of rapidly evolving labour laws
The Landscape1. A time of big demographic shiftsBig demographic forces are at play in Singapore today, which have important ramifications for the labour market now, and in the future. In 2024, the Singapore birth rate reached an historic low, with the Total Fertility Rate (the number of children a woman is predicted to have) dropping to 0.97. Population replacement level is 2.1.Singapore, a city state of some 6.04 million people, currently has 1.86 million non-residents made up of foreign workers, their dependants and students. With a low birth rate, an ageing population, and a trend for local talent to study and then work overseas, there is a strong need for foreign workers.However, the presence of these overseas workers – particularly in more highly-skilled positions – has created tension with Singaporeans. Many feel that expats take an unfair proportion of more highly paid roles. This feeling is exacerbated by the fact that government sector jobs, which are not as highly paid as some private sector roles, have much stricter citizenship criterion, and are generally filled by Singapore nationals.
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