Singapore’s expat numbers lowest since 2010 suggesting no boost from Hong Kong’s exodus
- Pandemic travel restrictions and tightening of criteria for businesses looking to hire overseas workers have led to decline in expats in city
- Exodus of professionals from Hong Kong has not translated into a boost for Singapore, despite city state easing curbs to live with Covid
Ministry of Manpower figures released on Wednesday show that Employment Pass holders – a type of visa issued to foreign professionals, managers and executives earning at least S$4500 (US$3300) per month – fell by 9 per cent in the year ended December 2021 to 161,700.
That is the lowest level since 2010 when there were 143,300 in the country, according to data on the Ministry of Manpower website and earlier pages stored by the Internet Archive. A spokesperson for the ministry had no immediate comment on the data.
Singapore’s foreign visitor arrivals from Hong Kong hit 2-year high last month
Singapore has traditionally drawn well-heeled expatriates thanks its low taxes and role as a regional base for a range of industries. But with Covid-19 exacerbating the concerns of some locals that foreigners are taking the best jobs, the government has been tightening the criteria for businesses wishing to hire such workers from abroad.
The decline has extended beyond white-collar workers to include technicians and labourers in the construction sector. Public housing estates and other building works have faced lengthy delays as a result. The total number of foreign workers in the city state stood at 1.2 million at the end of last year, well below the 1.43 million that Singapore hosted in 2019.
Hong Kong marks net outflow of 71,354 departures in record high
But the city state has pledged to fill a shortage of overseas workers within the next few months. The number of blue-collar Work Permit holders rose by 15,400 in the six months ended December 2021.
To be sure, numbers for white-collar expatriates could shift in the other direction this year as Singapore reopens its borders in an effort to live with Covid-19 while Hong Kong implements stringent measures that have exacerbated departures.
