4/22/2016

The bull about PMET unemployment

I have been writing about how difficult it was for PMETs to find reemployment after being laid off. Some took 6 to 8 months, some years, some gave up completely. And I have many sad stories to tell from the number of people in Gilbert Goh’s transitioning.org blog and their testimonies. These people could not be lying as there were real people. And I too have heard and met people that were unemployed or underemployed or simply resigned to retirement.


In the main media on 21 Apr, the MOM came out with a slush of statistics as proof that PMETs were the hardest hit in being laid off last year, all 15,580 of them. And they all have great difficulties finding new employment. The average time, in months for those retrenched or laid off to be reemployed was 2.21 months. The younger and less qualified workers could find new employments slightly faster, averaging less than 2 months. The older PMETs, above 50 and with tertiary qualifications found it more difficult, averaged slightly more than 2 months or about 2.3 months to be reemployed.


So sad, so pathetic.  Really? Let’s see, it would take a couple of weeks for anyone laid off worker to look for a new job, to send out resumes, a couple of weeks to get a reply and a couple of weeks for interviews. These processes would work out to about 2 to 3 months. And if these PMETs could find jobs in less than 3 months, averaging less than 2.5 months, what is the problem? Isn’t this as good as the perfect normal for people changing jobs?


Now, what is this great bull about PMETs finding it difficult to find reemployment? To get reemployed in less than 2.5 months is about the best one can ever get. No problem at all. Absolutely no problem.


What was this nonsense that there were PMETs taking more than 6 months or more than a year to find a job? What was this nonsense that some took several years and some gave up and retired because they could not find a job any more? Got such things or not? Real or not!


I think all these unemployment craps are hoaxes, not true. How can people say it is difficult to find another job when they could be reemployed in less than 2.5 months? What a load of rubbish Someone is lying and telling cock and bull stories. It is a very happy situation as far as I am concern if our PMETs can find reemployment in less than 2.5 months. Tiok boh?  It cannot be any better.


Something amissed? What is missing? To me there is no problem at all. It is too easy to find reemployment here if one only needs to take 2.5 months to do so. Now, where are those PMETs or young graduates that have to write a few hundred resumes and did not get any reply? Cannot be right? These people must be lying. It is very easy to get a job, the most 2.5 months according to MOM. Of course you can say you don’t believe what I am saying. But please don’t say you don’t believe MOM. And statistics don’t lie. And statistics from MOM lagi don’t lie.


There is no unemployment problem for PMETs in Singapore. Period. Getting another job in less than 3 months is like a piece of cake. You cannot ask for more.

98 comments:

Virgo 49 said...

Mr RB, why they stated Residents PMETs laid off more than foreigners???

Aren't foreigners supposed to supplement our local workforce??

Why are they not laid off before the citizens??

So in a way, the citizens are been levelled equally in employment opportunities with the foreigners.

So why do we have a Nation and Government for??

Many will called me naive saying now goblalisation, wake up, nobody owes you a living.

So does we also owes the Ministers, MPs, civil service any living.??

Do we owes them that we must sacrifice two to three years gull time National Service and twenty odd years of restricted freedom of reserve duties??

Many even cut short their lives for the country.

Why they keep harping building up a Singaporean Core??

Or they meant "KOR"- hokkien sour lifes for Singaporeans.

Anonymous said...

How long did it take Lui Tuck Yew to find a new job?
Do you think that is the gold standard?

Anonymous said...

"Getting another job in less than 3 months is like a piece of cake."
RB

Tiok. And I think about 70% of PMETs are in this happy situation. Those sad stories in Gilbert Goh’s transitioning.org blog belong to a minority, maybe 30% or less. You cannot expect 100% to be in a happy situation, tio bo? Can you expect 100% to vote for PAP?



Anonymous said...

There are more happy Sinkies (include new Sinkies) than unhappy Sinkies.

Or else more talented Sinkie PMETs would have joined the opposition parties like SDP to make it strong and ready to be govt. And Chee Soon Juan would have already become MP in GE 2015. And PAP probably even voted out in GE 2015.

agongkia said...

Be realistic.If one is retrenched it only shows that one is redundant.
Plenty of jobs around and one should consider to change profession.
Garmen never say once one is a manager or so think PMET,he must be given a job of a manager or PMET.
I seen many of these so claim PMET not doing their job but have a habit of bullying the less fortunate subordinates,just to porlumpa.
Many deserve to be downgraded.
Go join screwty gard.Manage access control at the factory or condominiums,also manage,also manager.

Anonymous said...


All The Best! All The Best!

Those beyond 40. If you are able to get another job within 6 months after being retrenched, please consider yourself very very lucky!

In today's business world based on "PFPL" strategies, 6 months to get another job is really nothing. Nothing!

What is "PFPL"? ........"Profit First People Last"!..........

Furthermore, with "YDYB" policies, cannot find another job within 6 months, or for months or for years, are indeed very very common!

Can ask TAXI COs, UBER and GRAB!

What is "YDYB"? ......."You-Die-Your-Business"!...........

BUT! One consolation is in GE2015, 70% said yes, ok and thank you very much, sirs.

So, fear not worry not!

The govt will help you. Will help you! Will help you!

Singapore is like that! This is Singapore! No U-turn! No U-turn!

All the best!

Anonymous said...

RB, so early in the morning your blog is crowded with prostitutes.

Anonymous said...

One thing strikes me when they mention PMET? It is a very broad definition and covers a very broad spectrum of employees that, nowadays, have big sounding professional titles, which probably would include jobs like bus captains, landscape technician, healthcare professionals etc who in the past are no more than bus drivers, gardeners and toilet and table cleaners.

Perhaps the MOM is talking about such jobs being in abundance with no takers. The better educated and those with high paying jobs, and were retrenched, would of course shun such jobs. It is human nature.

So, what is the actual situation? The MOM is probably talking about oranges while those on the other side are talking about apples. Here is a case of statistics being used to lie and the jobless knowing it is all bullshiting by the MOM.

Anonymous said...


Ha ha ha.....

Anonymous 9.05am, you are welcomed to participate with these early FOC professors (FOC=Full-Of-Complains)!

Thank you very much!

Anonymous said...


......and pimps.

Some maybe rich but
perverted, sadistic and
abnormal.



agongkia said...

Many graduates doing job as sweepers elsewhere and no law to say these people cannot work as cleaners etc.
Sinkies think too highly of themselves.
One bortartcheh apek just called me to get him a job willing to be paid lesser.So think educated sinkies can get job easily but just being choosy and lazy,having entitlement mentality.Waiting for durian to drop.
Cannot blame MOM lah.

Anonymous said...

Actually, really, truly, the stats are right. Those that cannot find jobs or taken too long, not included.

Anonymous said...

As Lau Goh said net happiness lar bo Bian as Long as 70% happy the rest u die your business

Anonymous said...

One lucrative profession is dominated by foreign talents in the Vice Industry.

There are calibres here that
should be able to develop the
Vice Industry much further.

Some sex related expurts here
can be engaged for their expurtise and specialization to create a super engine for economic development with the least capital.

Anonymous said...


Agongkia 9.23am you are gooOOOOOOOoooooood!

Singapore really needs more people like you! Able to think-out-of-box!

I will strongly recommend that you be invited to this year NUS graduation day and tell the new graduates these.......

"Sinkies think too highly of themselves!"

"Many graduates doing job as sweepers elsewhere and no law to say these people cannot work as cleaners etc!"

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Rb // There is no unemployment problem for PMETs in Singapore. Period. Getting another job in less than 3 months is like a piece of cake. You cannot ask for more.//


Unemployment are usually categorised under 5 causes:?

(1) Cyclical ?

(2) Structural ?

(3) Frictional ?

(4) Seasonal ?

(5) Classical ?

Anonymous said...

Before one goes about identifying who is which, is this "who" even in the "unemployed data"?

So?

Pls STATE how are "unemployment" and "unemployed" DEFINED?

agongkia said...

Anon9.41
Must also tell them 行行出狀元。
And sing them a Hokkien song..路是自己行出來。。
Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Soon cleaners may have to have
diploma and degree to clear garbage and rubbish.

Think cleaners should be classified as Hygiene Specialists.

Anonymous said...

How about LFPR?

Labour Force Participation Rate?

Given an economy could have 3 million "locals" adults, how come if only 2 million are employed and one million not working, the unemployment rate is only 2%?

The math doesn't square up, isn't it?

When a person say is unemployed for 6, 12, 24 or 36 etc months onwards and already given up looking for a job, statistically he/ she is removed from the LFPR and therefore NOT CONSIDERED "UNEMPLOYED"?

Anonymous said...

I think if one does not contribute to the CPF for 3 months auto taken out from the stats to make the stats look so pretty.

Anonymous said...

Frictional unemployment, seasonal unemployment, structural unemployment are often considered "NATURAL" unemployment and the supply and demand in equilibrium?

Only when cyclical unemployment occurs that disequilibrium results?

Nonetheless, even frictional unemployment alone can take as long as 6 to 12 months to unwind itself?

So?

Anonymous said...

Means the math doesn't square lah?

Lol?

Ha ha ha?

Anonymous said...

Sinkieland productivity SUCKS?

BIG TIME?

Even kpkb also "VERY LOW" in productivity and smacks of "blind oxes" intelligence and education level?

When kpkb also "NOT PRODUCTIVE" in quality and essence, how can a leaking sampan NOT SINK?

No hope le?

Anonymous said...


Please go to the coffeeshops, shopping centres, parks, etc etc etc
on weekdays and during working hours.

You will be surprised with the massive people out of jobs!

Just look at their faces!

Hope you are not one of them! Pray! PRAY! Pray!

Why? New normal?

Sad.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ RB:

>> I have been writing about how difficult it was for PMETs to find reemployment after being laid off. <<

Yah, but unfortunately all that writing is for naught, as you have left out one very important thing: HUMAN CHOICE.

Here's the fact of nature, specifically HUMAN nature: In a modern society, with a modern economy UNEMPLOYMENT IS A CHOICE.

If you lose your job, get another. I doubt there are many people who have had more jobs than I have. You lose one job...ah...that's life...just go out and get another even if the pay is lower than your (inflated) "expectations".

There are 2 things to bear in mind here:

1. Markets clear (i.e. bids and offers eventually resolve each other)
2. It is a natural human tendency to over-value oneself. aka The Dunning-Kruger Effect

Markets clear....once the bids and offers agree on a PRICE, the exchange is made and the market clears. If you price yourself too high due to the Dunning-Kruger effect, you probably won't get a job anytime soon.

The fact that all the goodie-do-nothings have tried all their nonsense "theories" to no avail (i.e. EPIC FAIL) would suggest that no one is paying attention to the supply-demand-clearing price mechanism, and EVERYONE is seriously afflicted with the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Science makes the world a funnier place! 😂

Got anymore bullshit you'd like to try?

Veritas said...

Hi RB, relax la. Every thunderstorm got a silver lining. What is the backbone of PAP FT policies? Many people cannot see why foreigners keep coming. The reason is due to the high quality Singaporeans being able to create jobs.

Now we are losing the capability. So jobs are loss. Quality foreigners will not be coming, or only low caliber foreigners like criminals, jihadhist, blacks, hindus will be coming.

PAP closing the FT doors recently is not entirely out of charity. It is because PAP is able to see the reality.

If we dont want foreigners, we fuck ourselves up and we stop creating jobs.

Under the fucking PAP system, you wont get peaceful If you do too well PAP screw you, like FT policies...etc. If you dont do well, you are screwed.

The implication of PMET losing jobs means those survival can snap up low price housing. It also mean lower inflation, lower COE..etc

Singapore fuck up system mean that in order for me to do well, you must do badly.

Anonymous said...

The Sifu and his Student here make good MOM Officials.
With them incharge of labour and employment, Sinkies will be properly guided and employed with no exploitation.

They sound like fair and decent beings, hard driving, industrious and principled.
Respectable in every way..

They are the Wise Men of the East.

Cheers.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Did they cut down the imports of FTs? In 2015, 50,770 new citizens and PRs were created according to MOM stats.

Anonymous said...

agongkia said...
Be realistic.If one is retrenched it only shows that one is redundant.
Plenty of jobs around and one should consider to change profession.
Garmen never say once one is a manager or so think PMET,he must be given a job of a manager or PMET.
I seen many of these so claim PMET not doing their job but have a habit of bullying the less fortunate subordinates,just to porlumpa.
Many deserve to be downgraded.
Go join screwty gard.Manage access control at the factory or cond

Is it beneath you to prostitute yourself when you already are?

Anonymous said...

Many rich men and woman will pay to fuck you and has always been that way. Even if you are old and ugly, there are always desperate foreigners to service. So MOM is right.

agongkia said...

@anonymous 1106.
Providing a service for an income is a fair deal.Prostitute is also a profession.One's job should not be look down upon.
行業不分貴賤。These professionals help to reduce sexual crime.

Anonymous said...

Prostitute does not help to reduce or increase sexual crime. Sexual crime is a very individual thing. But we aren't talking about that kind of sexual crime, are we?

Anonymous said...

Sinkies are not only low in productivity but also in attention span and focus?

Anonymous said...

Demand for PMETS is ultimately a demand for sinkieland's exports?

Anonymous said...

Both are highly correlated?

Anonymous said...

The other side of the coin when the garment sticked to bazooka-type property cooling measures is an admission they have farked up BIG TIME previously to let property prices escalate to such "dangerous level "?

Anonymous said...

(1) High property costs ---> High production costs

(2) Low productivity ( due to many blind oxes in the midst ? )

(1) + (2) = uncompetitive exports prices?

Anonymous said...

Uncompetitive exports => Exports Eat grass liao?

Read properly?

Not eat grassroot huh?

Otherwise one more CHEE BY election?

So how to solve low productivity and high property costs?

Anonymous said...

Heard about productivity policies including throwing in the kitchen sink?

Heard about PIC?

Did it work?

Anonymous said...

How about high property costs?

How to solve?

Heard about this "MOODY" guy?

Before Jiak Liao Bee move, already kena "CHECKED MATE"?

So high property price can solve or not?

Anonymous said...

Before exports become competitive again,

(1) Ask whether ( LOW ) productivity can solve or not?

(2) Ask whether ( HIGH ) property costs can solve or not?

Anonymous said...

In front is a ( international ) brick wall, behind is a ( banking system ) bank-vault steel wall closing in?

How to come out unscathed and in ONE PIECE?

Without solving these TWO ( self created ) problems ( by ownselves check ownselves Jiak Liao Bee ), how to get exports competitive ( again )?

Anonymous said...

Exports down means all domestic demand down eventually and into a vicious cycle?

Anonymous said...

Some ( silly ) folks mentioned can buy cheap housing when property sector tanks?

Halo ........?

If property sector tanks, won't it drag many with it?

Where is the bottom?

So die die must maintain what?

Anonymous said...

"Many graduates doing job as sweepers elsewhere and no law to say these people cannot work as cleaners etc!"

We import them and call then FTs?

Anonymous said...

For long term economic growth and development, an economy needs to add value ( VERY HIGH VALUE ADD IN SINKIELAND'S CASE GIVEN THE SUPER HIGH COSTS? ) constantly?

Playing the property boom game via vice trade to pump up the economy is maciam taking steroids as the main meals?

The ( false ) positive effect is temporary and very soon giving rise to all the downsides just like an athlete ( former East Germany ) on steroid having multiple organs break down ( and failure ) at the age of latest 20s or early 30s?

Anonymous said...

Oops .... typo should be ".....late 20s ....."

Also should be ...... "( think former East Germany )" .....

Anonymous said...

Sin has no soul so property is king and maketh Kings . Property sink, many will sink hence businesses fail jobs lost.

Anonymous said...

It is a societal tragedy when a cuntry is run by billionaires and super-elites?

They are so removed from the ground that it is hilarious for society in general to pretend ( and/ or think ) that a billionaire staying in a 100,000 sq ft good class bungalow/ villa can TRULY understand what those at the bottom are undertook truly need Tue garment to do to better their lives?

Billionaires and the super-elites can only make the lives of those below worst, not better?

Anonymous said...

Oops .... ( stupid ) auto correct .....

Should be

" ....what those at the bottom are truly undergoing and what they really need ( for the garment to do) to better their lives?

Anonymous said...

Billionaires are billionaires mostly bcos they used cronies means to establish monopolies and impoverish the masses to ENRICH THEMSELVES?

Never the other way around?

To (en)trust the super elites and the super rich is maciam oldies entrusting their teenage ( virgin ) granddaughters to one meimeiseow and another matiseow?

Anonymous said...

Which ( kongcum ) oldies wish to entrust their wives, daughters and granddaughters to these meimeiseow and matiseow scoundrels, pls KEE CHIU?

Anonymous said...

Sin is righteous
Sin is rich
Hallelujah

Anonymous said...

Sin 可恨可憎?

Sin 应该被彻底消灭?

Sin 危害人间?

Anonymous said...

Which religion says "sin" is good?

Which religion support "sin"?

Which religion exhort "sin"?

Anonymous said...

Economy in 2016 is bad?

2017 is worst?

2018 ( properly ) boom but many ( businesses and owners ) would have "perished" by end 2017?

Anonymous said...

Months back went to Ubi to check an electronic item bought from sim lim. The entire customer service engineers were foreigners. Their language i could not understand. They did this did that and prepared to show me the steps for setting ups. I knew what they tried, and asked them to show me step by step. They gave up. Then gave me a new package wrapped nicely saying this is new. Go back to try. Bought a new package made in singapore and exchange for another new package also made in singapore but handed over by foreigners engineers. Smart fellow would go back home or go to sim lim? Obviously, go to the shop exchange for a non made in singapore item. Never buy made by foreigners but made in singapore, u get to play games with these foreigners.
Mom minster said mumbai university is a reputable uni, when mp question one staff using fake master degree to advertise herself, while minister said her mumbai uni degree is reputable.

But the things produced in singapore is actually unsalable and unacceptable. No wander singaporeans pmets are very in demand. It took 2.5 days for find a job after losing one. Singapore exporting non oil goods are well in demand, growth rate last month was 15.6% so good.

Anonymous said...

When sin is actively being "worshipped" in Geylang and Casinos, make "no mistake about it"?

Disasters like lightning might strike any time and set the "target" up in smoke?

Dun prey prey?

Anonymous said...

Aiyo uncle your "info salah" lah?

It only take 2.5 s?

Fastest?

Cheapest?

BESTEST?

Anonymous said...

Go and Sin no more

Anonymous said...

Sinkies are trapped between an impendingTsunami and Earthquake.

Can imagine the consequences ?

Anonymous said...

In 5 years time and beyond, all PMETs and top position will be filled by Indians.

Times & fortunes have changed. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

The consequences of unemployment are multidimensional?

At the individual level, spendings are drastically cut due to net negative monthly cash flow?

The unemployed individuals and/ or his families suffer a huge fall in both tangible and non-tangible living standard?

Anonymous said...

When unemployment persists, their children's tuition probably would be first to be foregone?

The next generation's future is immediately adversely impacted?

The kids' school work starts to be affected and school tests results begin to display "blood colour" instead of "sea colour"?

Anonymous said...

The unemployed parents are called up by teachers during meet the teachers sessions and obviously the parents are encouraged to get tuition for their kids ( aiyo that's what teachers are paid to do?)

That evening these parents plunged into depression after "listening to the teachers' advice" cos they are unemployed in the first place and how to stretch their savings if the limited sum now would be depleted with kingly tuition fees?

On the way home, the parents bought 1 dozen bottles of beer?

Anonymous said...

When they reached their door steps, they found a pink slip pasted on the doors from a "LEEGAL" monopoly?

"Pay up by tomorrow all OUTSTANDING payments or else electrical and water supplies will be CUT without FURTHER REMINDER"?

The message in the pink slip "SCREAMED"?

Anonymous said...

Not everything is bad news?

Their bank accounts still can last several months?

So before drinking themselves "daft, kongcum and numb", the parents logged into their online bank account and settled the payment with the "bandits" ...... oops ..... monopoly. ....?

Anonymous said...

Over the next few months the patterns repeated and played out throughout many families in the heartlands?

During many of the trips looking around for jobs or for interviews, these parents bumped into ( countless ) foreign looking strangers in the trains, food courts, buses, and "worst" amidst the companies they went to seek jobs?

Aiyo, maciam refugees in own cuntry?

Simisai?

That night after going for yet another job seeking wild goose xhase trip, the parents logged into the internet and Googled "social media"?

Anonymous said...

Meanwhile in those months these men stayed unemployed, cracks started to appear in the home front?

For the first time in their lives, the men felt some "imaginary" tuakee penetrating their BUTTOCKS?

Their wives have been returning home late from work frequently and often looked very tired and preoccupied?

Anonymous said...

Often, on the individual front, prolonged unemployment leads to substantial plunge in standard of living, low self-esteem, neglected children turning delinquent, dysfunctional families, divorces etc etc?

What next?

In most society, such individuals problems due to prolonged unemployment SOON surface as societal problems?

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous April 22, 2016 3:45 pm
//Sinkies are trapped between an impendingTsunami and Earthquake.

Can imagine the consequences ?//


The consequences of unemployment are multi-prong?

Besides snowballing family, personal and children's problems in affected families repeatedly playing out across the heartlands, another ( dire ) consequence of prolonged unemployment is breaking down of the social fabric?

For PMETS, they have some savings and other fallback?

For low income and non-PMET families, when their last jobs were already low-skilled and hard-labour based, how further lower can then go ( other than getting an erected tuakee or cheese buy-like erection in their BUTTOCKS? )

Anonymous said...

The hard knocks of the society taught these low income earning men all these years that:

"When the situation gets desperate, the desperates get going"?

Bingo?

Plenty of alternatives if they start to think hard enough?

First thing first?

Go Geylang hug mei mei and have 5 dozen beers with "pork frens dog buddies or brothers" ( Chinese translation : "猪朋狗友"? )

Anonymous said...

Often, prolonged unemployment in most if not all societies result in rise in crime rates, broken families, low TFR, delinquent children, rise in divorced rate, etc etc?

Loan sharks, drugs, ilLEEGAL business, frauds, scams, what have u etc etc ....... including selling the souls becoming an IB?

Anonymous said...

Consequences of prolonged unemployment on the individual and social fronts ultimately boomerang onto the economics dimension?

The NODX started plunging unabated?

The economic "miracle" turned out to be a "mirage" in the desert?

Anonymous said...

Empty completed private properties start to build up exponentially?

Another group of still gainfully employed PMETS get adversely impacted?

200,000 completed units chasing 1000,000 available tenants?

Needless to say it is a tenants market?

Anonymous said...

International rating agencies start to get "worried" and "moody" too?

Downgrading of the banking system by foreign rating agencies ensued?

In countries such as Spain and Greece, what happend next?

Anonymous said...

In Spain, the bursting of their property boom in 2009/ 2010 led to a very vicious "Vicious CYCLE"?

Unemployment rate rapidly snowballed to double digits?

More than 1 in 4 Spaniards are unemployed, not counting those already dropped out of the labour force?

Anonymous said...

7 years after their property boom BUSTED, Spain is still struggling and "ugly sights" of individual, social and economics dimensions playing out across the cuntry?

As their cuntry gets poorer, sub standard rating keeps coming and the rating outlook gets more moody?

Their banking system are numb to further downgrades?

Meanwhile waves of Spanish properties on Sentosa Cove ...... oops ..... Spanish resort islands are put up in the international market ( for fire sale ) in the past few years?

As far as visibility permits, there is NO LIGHT at all at the end of the tunnel?

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous April 22, 2016 5:15 pm
//In 5 years time and beyond, all PMETs and top position will be filled by Indians.

Times & fortunes have changed. Good luck!//


Which garment in the world gets aliens to "screw" their guys in the BUTTOCKS?

And their LEEDERS to "screw" the guys' wives in their poohsees?

Have?

Anonymous said...

Which kongcum cuntry's citizens would elect a garment to get aliens to "screw" their husbands and men in the BUTTOCKS like an erection meant for the cheese buy?

Such citizens need to be "screwed" hard especially in the BUTTOCKS?

For being unbelievably daft and say "thank you" to people who "screwed" their wives poohsees and made them wear green berets yet when the adulterers "buy" them one ( miserable ) plate of chicken rice, these kongcums are EASILEE "CONNED and SWINDLED" and even "kneel down in tears to thank the perpetrators" for given them a ( miserable ) packet of chicken rice after having "screwed" their wives poohsees countless times and also their BUTTOCKS with alien tuakees?

Anonymous said...

These citizens "no hope le"?

Anonymous said...

Rb // I have been writing about how difficult it was for PMETs to find reemployment after being laid off. Some took 6 to 8 months, some years, some gave up completely. //


Besides the above stated 3 consequences of prolonged unemployment namely in the individual, social and economic dimensions, there is still one "frightening" phenomenon arising out of PROLONGED UNEMPLOYMENT and it is known as "HYSTERESIS" in economics term?

Any competent A Level or IB student would have known what "HYSTERESIS" in persistent unemployment implies?

However, given the "sorry" state of the "education standard", if now or tomorrow u call up any 2015 A Level or IB student who scored a "Distinction" in economics, they may not be able to tell u anything?

Most likely, their face could be a "blank reaction"?

Now u know why "straight As" often amount to "very little" later in life?

Anonymous said...

We have heard of capital accumulation?

But have you heard about human capital decumulation?

That's one of the "frightening" consequences of prolonged unemployment?

Anonymous said...

Now, unemployment has yet another serious consequence manifested in another economic phenomenon known as the OKUN's Law?

Again someone who scored a "distinction" in A Level or IB exam in 2015 may not know what it means?

Surprise right?

Anonymous said...

Garment statistics can be "massaged" but OKUN'S LAW usually doesn't lie?

Bt looking at an economy's ( official ) GDP ( and give it some discount? ), the actual state of unemployment on the ground can be "computed" and often it is quite spot on?

Another metrics to "size up" exactly the real unemployment rate in an economy is using the "Beveridge Curve"?

Anonymous said...

By the way, in case any reader has a daughter or son who scored a "Distinction" in A Level or IB economics in the past few years, please, please dun be curious and ask them about unemployment phenomenon such as "Hysteresis, OKUN'S Law or Beveridge Curve"?

99.99% u will be shocked your son or daughter reaction is a "BLANK" and finally u realised how "valuable" is that "Distinction" in A Level or IB exam?

So, dun do it or ask your son or daughter, otherwise reality check kicks in and you may not sleep well for the next few nights and wonder what future has in store for your descendants given the state of education they are receiving?

Anonymous said...

In short, the level of delivery in education has dropped ( tremendously ? ) since 1985 ( after premature retirement of old guards stalwarts such as GKS, TCC ) and those in their 30s and 40s who were retrenched grew up and were educated in those periods?

Unemployment in the long term is proven to be associated with an education system historically throughout the past 100 years?

The correlation between an ineffective (incompetent and Jiak Liao Bee ) education system and the attrition rate of PMETS in the job market is "quite high"?

Anonymous said...

就像楼上一位老兄所言, 本地失业者比比皆是, 那像官方 2.3% unemployment rate?

胡说八道?

"Chap Chui Gao Ka Chng"?

Anonymous said...

"10 mouths 9 Buttocks"?

Oops salah?

"10 mouths 9 AHs"?

Anonymous said...

Now 1 resigned, left 88 mouths?

So around 80 AHs?

88 Chui, 80 Ka Chng?

Anonymous said...

十张口, 九个屁股?

Anonymous said...

"干你那boo"?

Anonymous said...

失业者比比皆是?

街上满目怆吟?

惨不忍睹?

Anonymous said...

BB residents and Sinkies must know that if they don't replace the government, the government will replace them with you know who.

Is this what you wish for, for your children and grandchildren?

Anonymous said...

识时务者为俊杰, 通机变者为英豪?

不要再被迷惑了?

免得为时晚矣?

Anonymous said...

Human race may have long degenerated into worst than animals?

Instead of animals eat animals, aliens oops human race eat up each other lunch?

See who can eat ( up each others lunch ) faster?

Then who wins?

The loser starves to death?

More cruel than animals eat animals?

Chua Lee Kheng said...

The individual has rights.