RETRENCHMENT AND RE-EMPLOYMENT OF WORKERS (Figures)

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Labour how many workers were affected by retrenchment during the 12 months ending 29th February, 1988; and what is the situation concerning the re-employment of these workers.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Mr Speaker, Sir, the latest data I have is for the year ending 31st December, 1987. During the year 3,660 workers were retrenched, 40% from the manufacturing sector, 19% from the commerce sector and 16% from the finance and business services sector. This is a significant fall compared with the last two years when 10,000 workers were retrenched in 1986 and 19,500 in 1985.

Of the 2,265 retrenched in the first half of 1987, 65% had found jobs by the third quarter of the year - 28% within the first three months of retrenchment and 29% within the next three months. The rate of re-employment improved in the third quarter of 1987 with 40% of those retrenched finding jobs within the first three months.

These figures show that most of the workers retrenched in 1987 were able to find jobs within six months.