Breakdown of Workplace Discrimination Trends by Race, Sector and Occupation Type in Light of RIMA Report and 2023 Fair Employment Practices Survey Findings

Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Minister for Manpower in view of the findings of return deficit in a recent Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA) report and a finding in the 2023 Fair Employment Practices survey that race was the second most common basis of workplace discrimination, what is the breakdown, over the past decade, of race-based workplace discrimination by (i) race and (ii) sector and occupation type, including PMET and non-PMET roles.

Dr Tan See Leng: Between 2016 to 2025, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) received 163 race-based workplace discrimination complaints. This made up about 5% of all workplace discrimination complaints that were lodged with TAFEP within the same period.

The top three sectors with race-based complaints were Administrative and Support Service Activities, Wholesale and Retail Trade, and Education.