Demand for foreign manpower expected to increase in 2030

The demand for Foreign Manpower is projected to increase for the Healthcare Sector, Construction Workers and Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) in 2030. 

This is the projection by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) in an Occasional Paper released today. 

NPTD says the projections are not targets but illustrate the growth and change in demand for workers in these sectors based on certain assumptions drawn from the country's demographic and demand trends. 

For example with Singapore's ageing population, there will be fewer young people for each elderly person. The ageing population would require more healthcare services. 

The demand for healthcare workers is expected to grow from 50,000 in 2011 to 91,000 in 2030 . NPTD says of this total, 28,000 are projected to be foreign healthcare workers, up from 13,000 in 2011. 

The demand for FDWs could rise from 198,000 in 2011 to 300,000 by 2030. This is due to the expected rise in the number of resident households with young and/ or elderly and the number of households where both spouses are working. 

The demand for Construction Workers is expected to remain strong in the next 2 to 3 years, from 250,000 in 2011 to about 280,000 in the next 2 to 3 years. 

NPTD says this is due to the increased construction workload as the Government ramps up infrastructure development such as the expansion of the rail network, launching more Build-To-Order housing projects, and building more nursing homes and hospitals to cater to the ageing population. 

With projected improvements in productivity in the construction sector, NPTD says demand for construction Work Permit holders should be within 250,000 to 300,000 by 2030.