UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Mr Lim Choon Mong asked the Minister for Labour and Welfare if he will state the number of unemployed registered during each of the months of July to December, 1954, and 1955.

Mr Lim Yew Hock: Sir, there is no registration in Singapore of unemployed persons as such. The Government employment exchanges register any persons who seek assistance in finding employment. Registration for this purpose is entirely voluntary. Most of the persons who seek assistance through the exchanges are undoubtedly in need of employment, but some who are in employment and merely wish to change their jobs use the exchanges, and it is therefore not possible in all cases to distinguish between them. The number of persons registered for the first time at Government employment exchanges during the months July to December, 1954, and 1955 were as follows: July 1954 2,069 July 1955 1,246 August 1954 1,593 August 1955 1,472 September 1954 1,639 September 1955 1,281 October 1954 1,437 October 1955 1,221 November 1954 1,708 November 1955 1,302 December 1954 1,731 December 1955 1,479

Counts of persons, Sir, who register at Government employment exchanges and known to be actively seeking employment assistance have been made at regular intervals with the following result: July 1954 figures not available July 1955 5,581 August 1954 figures not available August 1955 5,249 September 1954 5,301 September 1955 4,928 October 1954 5,147 October 1955 4,738 November 1954 5,397 November 1955 5,033 December 1954 5,484 December 1955 4,686

As registration for employment at Government employment exchanges is entirely voluntary, the number of persons on the live register at any time does not depend solely on the number of unemployed in Singapore. For example, it has been found from experience that probably transport difficulties have caused many persons, believed to be still unemployed, to let their registrations lapse. When the exchanges have a few vacancies to offer, some persons who are unemployed cease to renew their registrations and the count of the persons on the live register falls. Similarly, when the word goes round that the exchanges have vacancies to offer, people rush to renew their registrations and the count goes up.

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Will the Minister agree that the figures given are not in any way comparable with the real situation and that the actual situation of unemployment greatly exceeds that?

Mr Lim Yew Hock: The actual figure for unemployment does exceed that, Sir, but not greatly, as stressed by the Member for Serangoon.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: How does the Hon. the Minister for Labour know, if he has carried out no survey?

Mr Nair: Has the Minister any objections in making registration of unemployed compulsory?

Mr Speaker: It is a different question.