Singapore's Ministry of Manpower’s latest data showed that total employment excluding foreign domestic workers dropped by 25,600 — 29 per cent more than the 19,900 indicated in its preliminary report. — TODAY pic
“In other words, the full effects of Covid-19 will certainly not have been felt in the first quarter of 2020,” she said. Furthermore, employment among residents had started to contract slightly in the first quarter, contrary to the preliminary findings that suggested it had grown at a “modest pace”. An index that is above 50 means that there are more industries with increasing employment than industries with decreasing employment. The reverse is true for an index below 50.
The MOM said that when compared to the fourth quarter of last year, retrenchments have come up and it is largely because of sector downturn or poor business. MOM said that this is very much higher than the number of employees affected in the previous quarter and the same period a year ago .Then, for workers that were not retrenched, 4,190 were placed on a shorter work week or temporarily laid off for the first quarter of this year.