DATABASE OF PART-TIME AND HOME-BASED JOBS

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Manpower (a) if a database of part-time jobs as well as home-based jobs is available for the benefit of those workers not seeking full-time jobs because of family commitments; (b) how part-time job seekers can have access to this information; and (c) how many persons have actually used the service and been successfully matched with the jobs that suit their circumstances.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the June 1998 Labour Force Survey, 49,000 economically inactive persons indicated that they intended to seek work within the next two years. About one in two persons in this group indicated that they preferred part-time work for one reason or another.

Sir, my Ministry's Employment Service Department (ESD) provides employment assistance to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents looking for jobs, whether it is for full-time jobs or part-time jobs. As at 31st October 1998, there were some 900 job seekers registered with the ESD, who were looking for part-time or flexible work. However, there were only 64 part-time positions posted with the Department as at that date. About 40 of these vacancies have since been taken up.

Part-time employment is not prevalent in Singapore. The June 1998 Labour Force Survey reveals that only 3.1% of employed persons are working part-time. While many economically inactive persons such as housewives favour part-time work, employers are still not keen to recruit part-timers. The current economic downturn has resulted in loosening the labour market. This has made it more difficult to promote part-time and flexible work arrangements. Once the economy recovers and demand for labour picks up, employers will have to review their position and consider part-time workers as a valuable supplementary workforce to meet growing demand.

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh (Nominated Member): Sir, could I ask the Minister for the 900 job seekers, what kind of jobs were they looking for, please?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have the specific details for all the 900 job seekers. But, in general, these were people who were looking for part-time jobs at the lower level. They were not highly-skilled workers. They want part-time jobs perhaps in the retail sector, restaurant, business or other commerce areas.

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh: Could I have the assurance of the Minister that the Ministry will step up its efforts in identifying more of these part-time jobs and then publicise the information and job-matching services?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, we will try our best to help those who want to look for part-time jobs. But, as I have said earlier on, during this economic downturn, with rising unemployment, very few employers are over-anxious about recruiting part-time workers to meet their requirements. In fact, they have a wide choice of full-time job seekers. So during this period, our focus will be, in fact, on the retrenched workers and those who want to seek full-time employment. As and when the economy recovers and the labour market tightens up again, I think employers will have to change their mindset and be more prepared to engage part-timers to supplement the full-time workforce.