Employment Pass minimum pay rises to enable business growth and openings for locals
Foreign worker policy being tightened amid weakened job market growth outlook
Singapore
THE minimum qualifying salaries for work passes of both foreign professionals and foreign mid-skilled workers will go up a second time this year.
The latest announcement is that, come Sept 1, the salary criteria for new Employment Pass (EP) applicants will be raised to S$4,500; that for S pass applicants will go up to S$2,500 from Oct 1.
The EP minimum qualifying salary in the financial services sector will be raised to S$5,000 from Dec 1 - the first time that qualifying salaries are set higher for a specific sector.
Details of these changes were unveiled on Thursday, a day after Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said the government would move to tighten its foreign workforce policies.
In a statement, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the government has regularly updated the criteria for approving work passes "to enable businesses to grow as well as to support employment opportunities for locals". The new adjustments, which Mrs Teo described as "significant" in a virtual media interview, were made because the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic has weakened the job market and made the growth outlook uncertai…
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
International
Australia regulator flags surge in company insolvencies to 11-year high
Elon Musk stakes fortune on cult following who made him rich
Even without war in the Gulf, pricier petrol is here to stay
Philippine Coast Guard to join military drills with United States
Australia’s March employment unexpectedly falls 6,600, jobless rate ticks up to 3.8%
China education firms learn tough lessons overseas