Number of new EP, S Pass, and other work pass holders in Singapore [Q3 2022]

Overall, non-resident employment has increased by 167,000 from December 2021 to September 2022, but still remains 3.9% (44,000) below pre-COVID levels.

Singapore noted an increase of 71,100 in non-resident employment in the third quarter of 2022. This growth, according to Minister of Manpower Dr. Tan See Leng, was attributed to an increase of 11,300 Employment Pass (EP) holders, 5,900 S Pass holders, and 53,900 holders of Work Permits or other passes.

As a whole, resident employment has expanded each year since COVID-19 whereas non-resident employment declined and registered a very sharp drop in 2020 and 2021, and reached a trough of 211,000 below pre-COVID levels in Dec 2021.

"Hence, not surprisingly, with the relaxation of border restrictions in April 2022, non-resident employment has increased more quickly as employers backfilled their positions," the Minister explained.

Dr. Tan was responding to a Parliamentary question by Member of Parliament Gerald Giam, who had asked for a breakdown of the numbers of work pass holders by category. Additionally, the MP asked if the minister expected most new jobs created to go to non-residents over the next four quarters, and finally, the steps being taken by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to enable more Singaporeans to take up these newly-created jobs.

Delving further, the minister noted that non-resident employment in the country has increased by 167,000 from December 2021 to September 2022, but still remains 3.9% (44,000) below pre-COVID levels.

Sectors that saw the most non-resident and resident employment growth

Next, looking at sectors where non-resident employment growth was most observed in the last two quarters, the two that stood out were manufacturing and construction – sectors that are more reliant on non-resident workers. "The resumption of construction work that was backlogged due to the pandemic would continue to generate demand for non-resident workers," the minister added.

While the above is so, the minister highlighted that resident employment stands at 4.4% above the level observed in 2019. In the past quarters, residents were seen taking up jobs in outward-oriented sectors such as financial & insurance services, information & communications, professional services, as well as in accommodation. In tandem, the median income of full-time employed residents grew from S$4,100 in 2016 to S$4,700 in 2021, an increase of 2.1% per annum in real terms.

Growth expected in employment over the coming quarters

Last, the minister elaborated on the expected employment outcomes in the quarters to come, referencing Singapore's unemployment figures. 

"We are in a tight labour market situation, with most unemployment being frictional unemployment," he commented. In line with that, he shared that Singapore's resident unemployment rate and resident long-term unemployment rate have recovered to their pre-COVID averages (2.8% and 0.7% respectively). At the same time, the labour market tightness eased slightly in the third quarter, but the ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons remained at 2.2, with the bulk of the job vacancies in manufacturing and construction, and also in services industries such as information & communications, and financial & insurance services.

As such, MOM expects total employment to continue growing, but more moderately for residents given the low resident unemployment rate.

Efforts by the Government and tripartite partners also played a part in growing employment outcomes, creating traineeships and attachments to help jobseekers gain skills and boost employability, Dr. Tan affirmed. From April 2020 to April 2022, around 200,000 locals were placed into jobs, traineeships, and attachment opportunities under the National Jobs Council’s SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. 

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