Dear Singaporeans,
We are suffering from UNEMPLOYMENT MISMATCH. It actually means the unemployed searching in the wrong sector. But how can this happen?
UNRECOGNISED UNEMPLOYMENT
First, the massive Singaporean unemployment is not recognised existing in Singapore. When a person with a certain skill cannot find a job, after 25 weeks, he is classified as long term unemployed. The need to self-sustain and contribute to their own family and inner circle of friends is to do something else, such as homemaker. Making the person fall out of long term unemployed, into "out of the unemployment statistics". These are the discourage workers who became something else. Other positions such as taxi driver, tuition teacher, "self-employed" are other shades to survive.
Today, we have 14.9% unemployed Singaporeans. Mostly discouraged.
LOOKING FOR THAT DESIRED JOB? HA HA ...
There are many others who say, why not get any job that gives a salary while looking that desired job. Does this approach exist? Not really. While many jobs have appeared in the F&B sector, their salary is very low. Some are not able to sustain Singapore's cost of living. Mean time, the hours are long, which makes the idea of looking for that desired job, a very difficult mission. Upon being noticed that the person is looking for another job, would the employer hold on to this person?
Hey, there are many more foreigners in line who will take the same job for less pay. We already know this job, the salary is already dirt low.
NO SINGAPOREANS TO FILL THE JOB?
In Singapore, we have people who have the wrong skills looking for jobs that has been taken away by foreigners, eroding the salary. Other jobs that may consider a Singaporean require different skills but pay half or one-third the person's original salary. Few companies want to train, and they want the candidate to come in running to deliver and perform immediately. So many companies now routinely say they cannot find Singaporeans for the job.
Of course the other damning statement is to say that Singaporeans are asking for high salary, which we know is a fraction of their previous drawn salary.
With so many foreigners coming to Singapore to mine gold, they are willing to work long hours and send back money to their native home. This amount is 2 to 3 times more than they can imagine, but it is a fraction to sustain a Singaporean. Yes, we are addressing relative expectation to sustain. Without numbers, these sentence means nothing.
The foreigners have changed expectations of employment which Singaporeans have to now abide by. Low pay, long hours, and be grateful when you have a job.
Indeed our lunch is now stolen.
RECOGNISING UNEMPLOYMENT?
If MOM actually recognise these unemployed Singaporeans what will happen? Of course chaos! Questions will come. What is done for these group? Why are there incentives for foreigners and not for Singaporeans? Why still got NS for citizens and jobs for foreigners? Why so many unemployed???
The unhappiness will surface up. It will not just be a lonely person looking for a job, but a group of unhappy people gathering and plotting.
In some countries, protest and riots will happen, but not in fear driven Singapore.