06 November
Lower-wage retail workers to get pay hikes from Sept 1
SINGAPORE - About 19,000 full-time lower-wage retail workers who are Singaporeans or permanent residents can expect pay hikes of 8.4 per cent to 8.5 per cent annually over the next three years.
SINGAPORE - About 19,000 full-time lower-wage retail workers who are Singaporeans or permanent residents can expect pay hikes of 8.4 per cent to 8.5 per cent annually over the next three years.
Under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the retail sector, retail assistants, cashiers and assistant retail supervisors will receive these increases from Sept 1 this year up to Aug 31, 2025.
From Sept 1, full-time retail assistants and cashiers in firms that also hire foreign workers will see their monthly gross salary rise to a minimum of $1,850, excluding overtime pay. This will rise to at least $1,975 next year, then no less than $2,175 in 2024. Currently, the median gross salary of this group is about $1,850, which means half of them earn less than this.
Lower-wage part-time retail staff will see their hourly gross salary go up. For example, from Sept 1, assistant retail supervisors will get $11.75 per hour, rising to $12.56 from Sept 1 next year and $13.82 from Sept 1, 2024.
The wage increase was one of the recommendations announced by the Tripartite Cluster for Retail Industry (TCR) on Monday (Aug 15), which the Government later accepted.
Currently, about 46,000 full-time and part-time retail workers who are Singaporeans or permanent residents work in firms that also hire foreigners.
Under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the retail sector, retail assistants, cashiers and assistant retail supervisors will receive these increases from Sept 1 this year up to Aug 31, 2025.
From Sept 1, full-time retail assistants and cashiers in firms that also hire foreign workers will see their monthly gross salary rise to a minimum of $1,850, excluding overtime pay. This will rise to at least $1,975 next year, then no less than $2,175 in 2024. Currently, the median gross salary of this group is about $1,850, which means half of them earn less than this.
Lower-wage part-time retail staff will see their hourly gross salary go up. For example, from Sept 1, assistant retail supervisors will get $11.75 per hour, rising to $12.56 from Sept 1 next year and $13.82 from Sept 1, 2024.
The wage increase was one of the recommendations announced by the Tripartite Cluster for Retail Industry (TCR) on Monday (Aug 15), which the Government later accepted.
Currently, about 46,000 full-time and part-time retail workers who are Singaporeans or permanent residents work in firms that also hire foreigners.
05 November
Drivers, administrative assistants services in Singapore to get wage rise by March 2023
SINGAPORE - Within the next two years, almost all local workers will make at least $1,400, and others holding traditionally low-paying jobs as drivers and administrative assistants services will get even more, as the Government redoubles its effort to speed up wage growth for lower-wage workers. Outsourcing your administrative services to Malaysia.
SINGAPORE - Within the next two years, almost all local workers will make at least $1,400, and others holding traditionally low-paying jobs as drivers and administrative assistants will get even more, as the Government redoubles its effort to speed up wage growth for lower-wage workers.
It will do this through a major expansion of the existing progressive wage model (PWM), which will be extended to include more sectors, and to cover specific occupations across sectors.
These two measures, together with the existing efforts, will cover up to eight in 10 lower-wage workers.
The proposals come from a national workgroup made up of representatives from the Government, unions and employers, tasked to improve the wages and well-being of lower-wage workers. These came under the spotlight during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Government has accepted all the 18 recommendations by the workgroup, which released its full report on Monday (Aug 30), a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced its key proposals.
Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, who heads the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers, unveiled the report at a press conference last Saturday, flanked by NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) president Robert Yap, as well as Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo, who was the adviser to the group.
Mr Zaqy said: "The recommendations take our existing efforts to a new level - with steady and bold steps ahead - to build a more inclusive Singapore, so that our lower-wage workers can achieve progress through solidarity and dynamism."
It will do this through a major expansion of the existing progressive wage model (PWM), which will be extended to include more sectors, and to cover specific occupations across sectors.
These two measures, together with the existing efforts, will cover up to eight in 10 lower-wage workers.
The proposals come from a national workgroup made up of representatives from the Government, unions and employers, tasked to improve the wages and well-being of lower-wage workers. These came under the spotlight during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Government has accepted all the 18 recommendations by the workgroup, which released its full report on Monday (Aug 30), a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced its key proposals.
Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, who heads the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers, unveiled the report at a press conference last Saturday, flanked by NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) president Robert Yap, as well as Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo, who was the adviser to the group.
Mr Zaqy said: "The recommendations take our existing efforts to a new level - with steady and bold steps ahead - to build a more inclusive Singapore, so that our lower-wage workers can achieve progress through solidarity and dynamism."
03 November
Singapore Employers Are Hiring. But Where Exactly Are These Job Opportunities?
In its First Quarter 2022 Labour Market Advance Release, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) shared that total employment continued to expand, with about 41,100 new jobs added in 1Q2022. Singapore’s Citizen unemployment as of March 2022 is at 3.2%, which is at our pre-COVID-19 level and a strong improvement from the 5.0% that we experienced in October 2020.
In its First Quarter 2022 Labour Market Advance Release, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) shared that total employment continued to expand, with about 41,100 new jobs added in 1Q2022. Singapore’s Citizen unemployment as of March 2022 is at 3.2%, which is at our pre-COVID-19 level and a strong improvement from the 5.0% that we experienced in October 2020.
For Singapore workers who are looking for work, or contemplating a career/job change, it’s worth noting that about 67.6% of companies have indicated plans to hire as of March 2022. Not surprisingly, this is a significant improvement compared to the 52.2% in June 2020, when our country had just exited from the initial circuit breaker.
If you are looking for a job, knowing where the job opportunities make sense. Earlier this week, MOM released data on where the top job openings are.
Across all industries, the Community Social & Personal Services account for the highest number of job vacancies at 21.8%. Within the industry, jobs in need of workers include Teaching and Training professionals (850), Management Executives (within the industry – 660), Receptionists, Customer Service & Information Clerks (580) and Registered Nurses & Other Nursing Professionals (570). Jobs such as Pre-Primary Education Teachers (450) and Healthcare Assistants (430) also fall within the industry.
Ironically, when we look at the minimum qualifications required for many of these jobs, a degree is often not needed. For example, only a Diploma or professional qualification is needed for many of the Pre-Primary Education Teacher and Teaching & Training Professional roles available. For jobs like Healthcare Assistant and Receptionist, Customer Service & Information Clerk, only require a post-secondary (non-tertiary) education may be required.
For Singapore workers who are looking for work, or contemplating a career/job change, it’s worth noting that about 67.6% of companies have indicated plans to hire as of March 2022. Not surprisingly, this is a significant improvement compared to the 52.2% in June 2020, when our country had just exited from the initial circuit breaker.
If you are looking for a job, knowing where the job opportunities make sense. Earlier this week, MOM released data on where the top job openings are.
Across all industries, the Community Social & Personal Services account for the highest number of job vacancies at 21.8%. Within the industry, jobs in need of workers include Teaching and Training professionals (850), Management Executives (within the industry – 660), Receptionists, Customer Service & Information Clerks (580) and Registered Nurses & Other Nursing Professionals (570). Jobs such as Pre-Primary Education Teachers (450) and Healthcare Assistants (430) also fall within the industry.
Ironically, when we look at the minimum qualifications required for many of these jobs, a degree is often not needed. For example, only a Diploma or professional qualification is needed for many of the Pre-Primary Education Teacher and Teaching & Training Professional roles available. For jobs like Healthcare Assistant and Receptionist, Customer Service & Information Clerk, only require a post-secondary (non-tertiary) education may be required.