Total wages rose by 4.2 percent last year in the private sector,
down from the growth of 5.9 percent the previous year.
This finding was published by the Ministry of Manpower in its
Report on Wages in Singapore for 2008.
Total wages comprise basic salary and bonuses.
According to MOM, the decline was due to lower bonuses compared
to 2007.
The basic wage increase was unchanged.
Labour productivity declined by a steeper 7.8 per cent.
Occupations requiring higher skills and knowledge continued to
command higher wages.
In June 2008, the median monthly gross wages was the highest for
managers at $6,400.
Clerical and sales and service workers were paid close to
$2,000.
Among blue-collar occupations, the production craftsmen and
plant and machine operators were paid the highest at $2,000.
To cope with the economic slowdown, two in five establishments
surveyed last year said they foresaw a need to cut wages in
2009.
The top two common measures of wage cut are cutting the annual
variable component and basic wage, followed by the monthly variable
component.
--938Live