Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong says he expects retrenchment
numbers to be significantly lower in the third quarter compared to
the second.
About 6,000 workers were made redundant in the three months to
June.
But Mr Gan warns that unemployment may still remain
high.
"Partly because some of the retrenched workers, unemployed workers
have not been fully absorbed by the industry. Looking forward for
the rest of the year, I think the employment sentiment will
continue to be cautious. But we will continue to work with our
tripartite partners, to help affected workers, to stay on the job,
and for those who lose their job, we will help them find jobs as
quickly as possible. "
Overall the unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent in the first
half of this year.
Mr Gan was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an industry
event this afternoon.
--938Live