Rilek1Corner

Tag: unemployed

  • MOM: Unemployment Rate Up For Citizens And PRs

    MOM: Unemployment Rate Up For Citizens And PRs

    While layoffs dipped in the first quarter of this year, the overall unemployment rate continued to edge up, preliminary estimates released on Friday (April 28) by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) showed.

    Pointing to a “mixed” picture, the MOM report also showed that the total number of people in employment shrank.

    Seasonally adjusted, the overall unemployment rate — which covers citizens and permanent residents as well as foreigners living in households here — crept up from 2.2 per cent to 2.3 per cent between the end of the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first quarter.

    The unemployment rate for citizens and permanent residents, however, stayed unchanged over the same period (3.2 per cent), as did the citizen unemployment rate (3.5 per cent). An estimated 74,400 residents were estimated to be jobless at the end of the first quarter.

    Meanwhile, the number of layoffs dipped slightly from 5,440 to 4,800 between the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first quarter, with redundancies continuing its climb in the construction and services sectors.

    The services sector accounted for more than six in 10 redundancies (63 per cent). For the whole of last year, the number of job redundancies stood at 19,170, the highest since the 2009 global financial crisis.

    Total employment, meanwhile, contracted by 8,500, after it grew by 2,300 in the fourth quarter of last year, owing mainly to a dip in the number of work-permit holders in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

    For instance, the number of people employed in construction dipped by 12,900, the third straight quarterly fall.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

     

     

     

     

  • Female PMET Is Jobless And Homeless, Feeling Despondent

    Female PMET Is Jobless And Homeless, Feeling Despondent

    Hi Gilbert,

    I got your contact info from Zarina, who said that you might be able to help me get a job and/or help me financially as well.

    I’m a freelance editor who’s been out of work for a while.

    I have no home of my own, and am currently on govt assistance and staying at various hostels, where the rates vary by day.

    I don’t have enough cash to go on living hostel-style, and I haven’t been able to land a daily rated job.

    And I don’t exactly feel like I can commit to any monthly rated job or even attend media-related interviews in my current situation, when I don’t even have a stable place to stay or know when the govt assistance is coming in, etc.

    Plus, I’m living on limited changes of clothing, with the rest of my stuff at the mover’s. I’m sort of up in the air, if you know what you mean.

    As for helping myself, I have already tried to apply for daily rated jobs that I thought I might be able to do.

    Other than the media industry, I have no interest or experience in anything else, so I have no idea what else I would do or where I should apply for a “second” career.

    I used to temp as various things while I was still in uni, but that was years ago. Recruitment agencies I have approached in recent years for temp assignments have not responded to my applications.

    I’m guessing that would because I am no longer a student.

    I don’t have any long-term experience in anything other than the media industry. Teaching also did not quite work out for me. I’m not exactly big on kids / teens / the educational system here, for obvious reasons.

    As for pursuing any “second” career, so to speak –

    1. I have no other interest outside of the media industry, and

    2. even if I did get some other job, there would be no way to start it since I have no stable place to stay or even enough clothes to wear, etc. until I got paid.

    So I have no way of moving forward.

    I don’t know what to do to change this situation and move forward.

    I very much want to get my career back on track. I’ve applied for tons of media opportunities, which is where my experience lies, but haven’t been very lucky.

    Zarina says that you’ve got a wide network of friends and may be able to work something out for me.

    My resume is attached for your reference.

    Thanks in advance.

    Pam

    P.S. I’ve already tried writing to the PM’s office, to the HDB, went to one of the Meet-the-MP sessions, etc. There is no way for me to get my own apartment at the moment.

    Editor’s note: if you are a employer and require a marketing or PR staff, please let us know so we can forward  you Pam’s resume. I have personally visited Pam last week and found her to be bright and intelligent.

     

    Source: www.transitioning.org

  • Malay Man Struggles To Find Job After Losing Job To Foreign Worker

    Malay Man Struggles To Find Job After Losing Job To Foreign Worker

    I am a 52-year-old unemployed of a Malay race. I have been unemployed for 1 year plus and the help I received so far is from the CDC.

    I got retrenched from the position of safety coordinator I worked for due to end of contract and the person that is sitting on the position now is a foreign worker that I trained before.

    I guess you know how I felt.

    I am trying my best to find a job now but whenever I go for the interviews, the first question they asked me is how much are you asking for. I replied,  “Negotiable.” “ Do you want to go for the same pay as ten years ago?” how should I answer, of course not??? A foreigner took away my job that paid me $4500 per month to support my family.

    I was the sole breadwinner of the family. Due to my unemployment, my wife started to find a job and is now working. They said can give me $2000 for the job role i was in but is it enough for me? To the foreigners, $2000 to them is a considered a lot and they are very happy with it. To me? I have housing loans to pay, household expenses, my children’s education and savings for the future and the transportations as well…

    When I went to CDC to ask for help, they said there is no job so far for my job role in the safety line. I was stunned. Singapore is so big and there is no vacancy for my position?

    Work is my life, and it is about money, everything in Singapore is about money. Work to survive, work for the family etc. Although I may not have decent food for my family now, at least we still have something to eat. I hate when somebody comes to complain to me that the food is no good, I will get mad. Just eat whatever that is still on the table. Thank God there is still some food on the table.

    If the only food is pork on the table, I will eat it to live. I am not going to die. I cannot be dead. If there is only one food on the table and that is pork, I am going to eat it up. That is what my religion tells me to. You eat to live not live to eat. You just eat to live.

    Luckily I have very supportive friends and family members, we talk about employment issues and all the stress I am facing. My wife is very understanding. I don’t mind do household chores when I am unemployed as she is now working. Even when I am employed, I do the cooking. We stay by our side and face the problem together.

    I am just trying my best to work for my family and if they (the foreigners) take away my job how am I going to survive in Singapore? I did go for courses under NTUC to upgrade myself. But is it enough? I am not too sure now.

    Hamzah

     

    Source: www.transitioning.org

  • Pregnant Woman Terminated After Only 3 Weeks With Company

    Pregnant Woman Terminated After Only 3 Weeks With Company

    Dear Sir / Madam,

    I would like to bring up this matter to your attention.

    I was just employed by this company last month on the 10th of Nov 2014 as a Receptionist cum Admin Assistant under the accounts dept.

    As usual I will have to go through the procedure of 3-month probation period.

    I tried to learn as fast as I could on whatever that was taught as it was a new experience for me under quickbook.

    So they concentrate more on teaching me on the invoices and quickbook and the company system called APS.

    I tried to learn as fast as I possibly could. Everything was fine till they did a 1-week assessment on me.

    They mentioned that everything was ok except for some of the jobs that I did not do – which was not taught nor was I given any instructions to do so.

    Example, to wipe the photocopier machine every morning – which I was not given any screen wipes / solution to wipe it. It was kept by another colleague.

    So during that assessment they asked if I have anything else to say and I told them it is good news to me but I am not sure if it is good news to the company that I am pregnant.

    They did not say anything and the HR exec noticed the concern on my face and I told her yes I am because I need the job to cope with this pregnancy. So she said they will look upon my performance.

    So I agreed  because thinking its under 3-month probation period and I can learn more things and contribute to the company.

    I did not take any sick leave for myself, I was never late for work, I do not have any conflicts with colleagues, the colleague who taught me quick book even said that I did no mistakes on the keying in on the system and invoices and I would even answer the phone calls within 1 phone ring.

    Even when I have done an outstanding job, I would come up to her and even asked her if there’s anything else for me to do as I need to keep myself occupied with something and learn new things and she would say “nope not now”.

    Apparently since the last week of  November, I noticed the coldness from the colleagues.

    For example they did not let me do the job that I am supposed to do like the stationery updates. They would take from my desk and do it themselves instead of teaching me.

    On Sat 29th Dec, I sensed something not right as I can’t logged into my PC as it has been disabled.

    And I checked with my accts mgr and the HR Exec  told me to check with boss in case boss “accidentally” they deleted my acct while deleting the previous staffs’ account.

    So I went up to him and he ignorantly said “Oh did I? Sorry, you can try to log in again within 5 minutes” so ok, I pushed the negative thoughts and tried and yes I can log in after that.

    On Mon 1st Dec, I report to work as usual. As usual no one said anything.

    I submitted my leave for my pregnancy checkup on the 16th Dec to my accounts manager and she took it without saying anything.

    But around 4pm+ the HR exec called me in to the meeting room. I suspected something already.

    She said:  “I’m sorry but the company decided to terminate you”.

    I was kind of shocked and asked for the reason and she said because its because my performance.

    I asked her why am I judged on my performance within 3 weeks and she said if 1 month we don’t see any good performance they will terminate.

    But it’s not even a month and I was already judged and I asked if this has got to do with my pregnancy and they come up with an excuse of my performance so I won’t be able to report to MOM and she kept quiet for a while and said:  “No its not. This is what the boss told me and I am telling you.”

    I was angry and upset because there was a girl who joined the same day as me and her sales manager gave her 6 months to learn and I was given weeks? Now I am jobless all because of the unfairness of the company.

    I have called the MOM for help and have been advised that for my case I may not be entitled for maternity (something which I can give and take about as what I really need is a job to support myself for the next few months). but I still fall under the Employment Act.

    I am really looking forward to seeing something being done here to employers who can terminate expectant mothers at will. Even most part-time jobs do not accept any pregnant mothers.

    Please do look into this case. Attached are a copy of my employment letter, my last payslip and my termination letter.

    I am looking forward to your kind reply.

    Thank you.

    Best Regards,

    Roslinda Binte Idris.

     

    Source: www.transitioning.org