Workplace fatalities in Singapore's construction sector triple in second half of 2024: ministry

Singapore, Dec 14 (IANS) Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has reported a sharp rise in workplace fatalities in the construction sector, with 15 deaths recorded in the second half of 2024, three times the five fatalities reported in the first half.

The workplace safety and health in the industry is "concerning," the ministry said in a Facebook post.

Many of these incidents resulted from "the lack of basic safety measures or non-compliance with established safety measures," the ministry said, citing "a sense of complacency and a lack of ownership for workplace safety."

As the festive season approaches, the ministry warned that some companies might be tempted to cut corners to meet project deadlines, stressing the importance of prioritizing safety over expedience, Xinhua news agency reported.

In October and November, the ministry conducted over 400 inspections in the construction sector, which resulted in fines exceeding 300,000 Singapore dollars (about 222,000 US dollars) and the issuance of 13 Stop Work Orders.

The ministry said that it "will not hesitate to take stronger actions against errant companies and individuals" if improvements are not made.

Earlier this week, the latest Labour Market Report by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower revealed that the country's labour market showed strong growth in the third quarter of 2024, with total employment nearly doubling the increase seen in the previous quarter,

By September, total employment, excluding migrant domestic workers, reached 3,736,900, reflecting an increase of 22,300 in the third quarter.

Both resident and nonresident employment saw growth. The ministry noted that resident employment expanded in outward-oriented sectors such as information and communications, professional services, and financial services, as workers moved away from domestic-focused industries like retail and food services.

The growth in nonresident employment was driven primarily by the hiring of work permit holders in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

Unemployment rates showed a slight decline. The overall unemployment rate in September was 1.9 per cent, with resident and citizen unemployment rates standing at 2.6 per cent and 2.7 per cent, respectively.

Job vacancies dropped to 63,400 in September, down from 81,200 in June, largely due to fewer openings in lower-skilled roles within sectors like construction, transportation, storage, and manufacturing, which have largely been filled by work pass holders.

Despite the decline, vacancies continued to outnumber unemployed persons, with 1.39 jobs available per jobseeker.

"The upcoming yearend festivities are expected to give a further boost to labour demand," the ministry said.

Employment data in the report excludes migrant domestic workers, whose numbers are released separately in the ministry's foreign workforce updates. As of June, there were over 294,900 migrant domestic workers in Singapore, making up 19 percent of the total foreign workforce.

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