Denial of tenure to NTU associate professor sparks outcry

By Shah Salimat |

• 
  An outcry over academic freedom in Singapore has been sparked after an outspoken professor for journalism in Nanyang Technological University was denied tenure (Yahoo! file photo)  less 

An outspoken associate professor for journalism in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has been denied tenure, sparking an outcry and raising questions over academic freedom in Singapore.

Cardiff University professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen tweeted Saturday morning that Cherian George, associate professor at NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), was denied tenure “on the grounds of quality of teaching and research”.

In subsequent tweets, Wahl-Jorgensen, who revealed that she was one of the reviewers for George’s case, said she was “outraged” at the decision not to grant him tenure, and that it could have been “because he sometimes expressed political opinions”.

An adjunct senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies and former journalist with The Straits Times, George has spoken out against media control and has been critical of the ruling People’s Action Party. He joined NTU in 2004.

Wahl-Jorgensen alluded to NTU’s decision being detrimental “for academic freedom” and said it raised “big question marks about international collaborations” with Singapore and NTU.

She said also said George’s application was “watertight” and believed the board’s decision “made no sense on grounds of research and teaching”.

Tenure would give him the contractual right not to have his position terminated without just cause. George was previously denied tenure once in 2009.

Petition started

In reaction to the news, an online petition was set up by final-year WKWSCI student Bhavan Jaipragas to urge the NTU board to “affirm (George’s) stellar teaching credentials and disclose the reasons behind the decision to deny his tenure”. The petition had 308 signatures as of press time, shy of the 350 mark set by the petition.

“We felt it was very important any impression that Dr George's teaching skills were sub-par had to be quickly demolished. We also want the school and university to… categorically dispel claims of curtailment of academic freedom in NTU,” said Jaipragas to Yahoo! Singapore.

Jaipragas said he heard of the news from several sources over the weekend, before such tipoffs were confirmed by Wahl-Jorgensen’s tweets. He said he will deliver hard copies of the petition with the list of signatories to four key members of the NTU leadership, including NTU president Bertil Andersson.

In one of the petition’s comments, associate professor William Ray Lengenbach, head of media at Sunway University College, said, “Cherian George is a significant regional intellectual and his views on Singapore politics should have no bearing on his tenure. If there indeed is government pressure on the university's decisions, it is time for academic staff and administration to stand up against such pressures.”

Among the students who have spoken out against the alleged grounds, alumnus Johnson Zhang commended George for being friendly and knowledgeable. “To say that the quality of Dr George's teaching was 'sub-par' would be an insult to us graduates who had the honour of learning from him,” said Zhang.

“As someone who has worked with Dr George for close to two decades, I am dumbfounded by the news. I don't know of many professors in NTU who give as much to the students, even fewer who have clear vision of how a great journalism department in an university can be and should be,” said WKWSCI photojournalism lecturer Tay Kay Chin in a post on Facebook.

George declined comment when approached by Yahoo! Singapore.

When contacted by Yahoo! Singapore, an NTU spokesperson said the institution will issue a statement Tuesday.

Last year, the issue of academic freedom was raised in relation to the launch of the Yale-NUS College, a partnership with Yale University and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Yale members passed a resolution expressing their concern restriction of civil liberties in Singapore.

- wong chee tat :)

Singapore's ICT sector grew despite recession in 2009

Singapore's ICT sector grew despite recession in 2009
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 06 March 2010 2233 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1

 

SINGAPORE : Despite the economic downturn last year, the information and communications sector was the only area that saw growth. And this trend is set to continue in 2010.

In addition, more jobs can be expected in the infocomm industry.

Last year, the strong areas of employment growth included digital media and animation, software development and research & development.

Acting Information, Communications and the Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew said this at a gala dinner for the industry on Friday night.

He said the government will continue to ensure Singapore continues to maintain a pro-infocomm and pro-business environment - all to make Singapore an ideal place for investment.

Mr Lui said: "I expect IT spending to go up. The prognosis for the IT sector for 2010 is good. We know that in 2009, despite the downturn, it was one of the bright spots in terms of economic performance.

"For 2010, both the IDA (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore) survey, and the SITF (Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation) survey indicated that 70 per cent or more of the companies have plans to expand their operations.

"2010 will be an even better year for them. And we think that this will result in more hiring and more opportunities for people."

As for homes, more than eight in 10 households are now connected to the internet. This is one of the fastest growth in years.

In 2008, three out of four households had an internet connection. 

- CNA/ms

- wong chee tat :) 

Project Updates / Status

Here are the updates for the projects:

I ought to provide some updates about the project status but I'm quite busy with other stuff and hence delay.

4th Nov: Last week , I'm very busy with project and of course the amended versions of last and the final HRM tutorial (presentation) on leadership.

My adviser told me the earlier portions of the algorithm were incorrect and needed refinements. I quickly made changes and did some refinements. Just got back the changes on Monday and these few days focused on adviser's comments and made necessary changes to the draft version.

Recheck and recheck before the final version. Don't forget 6th Nov is the deadline for the report!


5th Nov: 6th Nov is the deadline for the report! Progress? Panic.

A great deal of time spent just to check and check through the alignments, settings, configurations, and of course print and submit to respective Profs.

6th Nov: The deadline for the upcoming report!
Submitted. Now, there is still need to showcase / demo the simulations and presentations.

Just hope that everything will be fine.


// Re-edited on 11th Nov

- wong chee tat :)

What recovery? Unemployment shoots past 10 percent

What recovery? Unemployment shoots past 10 percent
AP

By JEANNINE AVERSA and CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Economics Writers Jeannine Aversa And Christopher S. Rugaber, Ap Economics Writers – Fri Nov 6, 6:39 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Just when it was beginning to look a little better, the economy relapsed Friday with a return to double-digit unemployment for only the second time since World War II and warnings that next year will be even worse than previously thought.

The jobless rate rocketed to 10.2 percent in October, the highest since early 1983, dealing a psychological blow to Americans as they prepare holiday shopping lists. It was another worse-than-expected report casting a shadow over the struggling recovery.

President Barack Obama called it "a sobering number that underscores the economic challenges that lie ahead." He signed a measure to extend unemployment benefits and to expand a tax credit for homebuyers.

Economists had not expected the 10 percent mark to come so quickly and immediately darkened their forecasts. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, and Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc., predicted the rate will peak at 11 percent by mid-2010. They earlier had projected 10.5 percent.

Unemployment at 11 percent would be a post-World War II record. Only once since then has joblessness hit double digits in the United States — from September 1982 to July 1983, topping out at 10.8 percent.

"It's not a good report," said Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist for New York-based investment firm Miller Tabak & Co. "What we're seeing is a validation of the idea that a jobless recovery is perfectly on track."

The Labor Department, using a survey of company payrolls, said the economy shed 190,000 jobs in October. A separate survey of households found 558,000 more people were unemployed last month than in September. Some 15.7 million Americans are out of work.

The survey of companies doesn't count the self-employed and undercounts employees of small businesses. So the economic picture could be even more dire.

One struggling small business, homebuilder Miller and Smith Inc. of McLean, Va., has trimmed its work force to about 100 from 350 at the height of the housing market in 2005. The company has been hurt by a slowdown in building and surging health care costs.

Troubles for small businesses could have a disproportionate effect on the economy, because they account for about 60 percent of the nation's jobs. They tend to rely on credit cards and home equity lines — both of which banks have tightened — for cash flow.

And the unemployment rate doesn't include people without jobs who have stopped looking, or those who have settled for part-time jobs. Counting those people, the unemployment rate would be 17.5 percent, the highest since at least 1994.

Economists had expected unemployment to rise to no more than 9.9 percent, up just a tick from September's 9.8 percent, and the surprising jump added to fears that the recovery could fizzle if Americans don't spend.

Already, consumer confidence for October came in well below what analysts were expecting. Shoppers' sentiments about the state of the economy are the gloomiest in nearly three decades.

Stores, always with an eye on holiday sales, are especially worried this year.

"This is a situation where the recovery balloon is getting off the ground but might not have enough power to keep rising," said Brian Bethune, economist at IHS Global Insight.

Sitting at a St. Louis unemployment center, Paul Branyon, who was laid off in July from a Williams-Sonoma factory in Tennessee and now lives with relatives, shook his head and laughed at the notion that the recession is over.

"It's getting actually harder right now," the 26-year-old said. "It seems like everywhere you go, people are losing jobs. People are cutting back. So it's going to get harder before it gets easier."

The economy actually grew from July to September for the first time in a year, but that's no consolation for people like Jose Betancourt, 57, who goes to a Miami-area career center twice a week to take computer education classes.

Betancourt has been out of work since July, when he was laid off from his supermarket maintenance job. He lives on about $600 a month in unemployment benefits, barely enough for the rent for his efficiency apartment, food and utilities.

He has trouble believing the recession is over. In his neighborhood, he sees other jobless people and empty stores.

"It's as if they just gave the economy a nice coat of varnish to make everyone feel better," he said. "I'm in a state of anxiety, and I see it all around Miami."

The worst recession since the 1930s may be over, but the recovery isn't expected to be strong enough to stem job losses and get businesses hiring again. And the unemployed are staying out of work longer. The count of people jobless for six months or longer stands at a record 5.6 million.

As for employers, few are confident enough in the recovery to hire. Art McKeen, plant manager of the Baldor Electric Co. factory in suburban St. Louis, says the plant has no plans add workers any time soon.

Baldor cut back production last year and put workers on part-time hours rather than lay them off. Orders have picked up again, but not enough to justify hiring. "We don't have the need for them right now," McKeen said.

Prospects that the government might pass a second stimulus bill appear dim. Congress is already grappling with sweeping health care legislation, raising concerns about further swelling the federal deficit.

"More debt, more spending ... clearly has not worked — particularly in a time of double-digit unemployment," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Democrats said the economy would have been in worse shape without the first stimulus.

October was the 22nd straight month the U.S. economy has lost jobs, the longest on record dating back 70 years. Losses at factories, construction companies, retailers and financial services companies far outweighed gains in education and health care, professional and business services and elsewhere. Government payrolls were flat.

One faint sign of hope: Temporary employment grew by 33,700 jobs, its third straight month of gains after steep losses earlier this year. Employers are likely to add temporary workers before hiring permanent ones.

Chris Rupkey, an economist at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, called the big jump in the jobless rate "a kick in the stomach" and predicted a slog ahead. It could take at least four years for the jobless rate to drop to more normal levels of 5 or 6 percent.

"The last two recoveries from recession in the '90s and 2001 were jobless, and this one is clearly headed down the same road," he said.

___

Associated Press Writers Jim Kuhnhenn and Anne Flaherty in Washington, Emily Fredrix in Milwaukee, Christopher Leonard in St. Louis, Adrian Sainz in Miami, Andrew Vanacore in New York and Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

This is not a piece of good news. What will happen over here in Singapore?

- wong chee tat :)

1,000 jobs in biologics sector when six plants fully operational

1,000 jobs in biologics sector when six plants fully operational
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 03 November 2009 2035 hrs

SINGAPORE: Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam says more than 1,000 highly skilled jobs will open up when the six biologics plants being implemented are fully operational.

These jobs will appeal to both fresh graduates and mid-career professionals from related sectors such as the chemicals, electronics and processing sectors.

Mr Tharman said this at the opening of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche's biologics manufacturing plant in Tuas.

He said the increased efficacy of biologics-based treatments will result in a surge in demand for manufacturing capacity in the coming years.

Singapore, he said, has built up the key capabilities and resources needed to meet the needs of companies in the industry.

In the last four years, leading companies have invested about US$2 billion to set up six commercial-scale manufacturing plants in Singapore.

- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

Companies brace themselves for staff attrition as economy improves

Companies brace themselves for staff attrition as economy improves
Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: Companies are bracing themselves for staff attrition as the economy improves. A poll by global management consultancy, Hay Group, said they are doing so by investing to retain high performing employees.

Dr Stephen Choo, regional director of Hay Group Insight, said employees in Singapore feel that they have stretched themselves to the limit to help their companies in the downturn, and a talent exodus might happen if nothing is done to reward and recognize the sacrifices made by employees.

According to Dr Choo, companies need to think of more ways to engage their employees.

"Talent are certainly very motivated to remain with the company if there are lots of development opportunities — that the company could actually work with them in terms of enhancing their skills and talent," said Dr Choo.

"Also, training is very important. Certainly leadership is still very important because lots of talent are motivated to stay with the company if there is a good role model they can look up to," he added.

Other motivating factors include offering employees more resources to work with, creating an environment that promotes greater teamwork, and also giving them more empowerment and authority.

Dr Choo said that companies polled are planning on average to give a salary increase of 3 per cent in 2010, as compared to 2.3 per cent this year.

The sectors doling out the highest salary increases will be the Oil & Gas, Chemicals and Insurance sectors.

The poll also showed that the percentage of companies cutting or freezing pay has dropped from 58 per cent in March to 18 per cent in October.

According to the Hay Group’s survey, variable bonuses for this year will remain modest at 1.8 months, and are forecast to be marginally lower at 1.5 months in 2010. The lower bonus predicted in 2010 is due to the unclear economic outlook for the next three to six months, explained Dr Choo.

He said: "As a whole, most industries are quite conservative about their forecast because there is no clear indication at this point in time that the economy is certainly moving up north.

"What we can see so far is that there are conflicting stories about some industries seeing an upturn, but at the same time there are also companies which are laying off staff as well."

— CNA/sc

- wong chee tat :)

Project Updates / Status

I had not gave an update about the project for some time, because of lots of HRM meetings and presentations.

Finally, I met advisor on Monday and he went through some of the portions that were wrong and the areas that needed revisions. Some of the portions were not clear and needed to change.

Made the required revisions quickly and later part of the week focused on simulations results and discussions. This is a big chapter that had the most changes to do. According to adviser, part of the algorithm to compute the required values in the model were wrong and therefore unable to obtain the required simulation results.

Quickly schedule a time to meet him again to clear my remaining doubts. He took time to explain. The later part of the week spent most of the time thinking it through and checking and modifying the code and verifying the results.

Hope the computed results are correct!

HRM Tutorial 4

Our group met up and discuss about the leadership theories and performance for the upcoming tutorial.

- wong chee tat :)

Private home prices up 15.8% in Q3; HDB resale prices up 3.6%

Private home prices up 15.8% in Q3; HDB resale prices up 3.6%
Channel NewsAsia

[Private home prices up 15.8% in Q3; HDB resale prices up 3.6%] Private home prices up 15.8% in Q3; HDB resale prices up 3.6%

SINGAPORE: Private home prices rose 15.8 per cent in the third quarter compared to the second quarter — slightly lower than the initial forecast of a 15.9—per—cent rise made by the Urban and Redevelopment Authority (URA) in early October.

The rise in prices between July and September is a sharp turnaround from the 4.7—per—cent fall seen in the second quarter, and snaps four straight quarters of decline.

According to the URA, non—landed private homes in the city fringe areas saw the highest increase in prices of 18.5 per cent in the third quarter, while the prime districts saw private home prices rising 15.2 per cent. In the rest of Singapore, private home prices climbed 16.1 per cent.

In the second quarter, all three regions had seen a decline in private home prices of between 2 and 5 per cent.

Meanwhile, property prices for office, shop and industrial properties decreased by between 1.2 and 2.1 per cent.

Rentals of private residential, office, shop and industrial properties also fell, with the decline ranging from 0.9 to 4.1 per cent.

URA said that the fall of rental rates for all property types in the third quarter moderated compared to the second quarter.

Meanwhile, prices of HDB resale flats rose 3.6 per cent in the third quarter. Resale transactions increased by about 14 per cent from the second quarter to 11,649 cases.

The Housing & Development Board (HDB) said the median Cash—Over—Valuation (COV) amount among all resale transactions has risen to S$12,000. It said in tandem with this trend, cases transacting above valuation has also increased to 79 per cent.

HDB said that in the next two months, the public can look forward to another 4,000 Build—to—Order flats in Punggol, Bukit Panjang, Sembawang and Dawson.

Together with other sale exercises, as well as flats offered under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme, the total flat supply for 2009 would be about 13,500 units.

HDB said it is monitoring demand and would adjust its building plan accordingly to ensure an adequate supply of new flats.

— CNA/sc

- wong chee tat :)

Blue Ocean Strategy Project

Well, since HRM tutorial 3 is now over, and we all have gone through the whole process from identifying the customer's profile, creating BUM, which is the buyer utility map, analyzing the value elements, creating and analysing the six pathe framework,4 action framework and the canvas.

What sums up the whole thing about BOS?

- wong chee tat :)

Singaporeans cautiously upbeat after 2009 GDP forecast upgraded

Singaporeans cautiously upbeat after 2009 GDP forecast upgraded
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 October 2009 2207 hrs


SINGAPORE: Singapore has raised its 2009 gross domestic product (GDP) outlook, after the economy grew 0.8 per cent in the three months to September from a year ago.

While the GDP will fall in 2009, the government revised its full-year forecast to a contraction of 2.0 to 2.5 per cent, better than the previous estimate of negative 4.0 to 6.0 per cent growth.

The new GDP forecast indicates Singapore's economy may be in the clear. But many Singaporeans are cautiously optimistic about the next few months.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is advising members to gear up in terms of capacity and manpower, and seize the opportunities that will hopefully start emerging by mid-next year.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the situation may be improving. But some of its members feel the economy is not recovering as fast as it should.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) say they have yet to see the trickle-down effects of the changes.

Inderjit Singh, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, said: "Companies are starting to see a pickup in demand and improvement in financial performance, but this is not reflected in increases in salaries so quickly.

"So retailers can expect to see a similar amount of sales or level of sales compared to the past because people don't suddenly feel very rich."

As such, Mr Inderjit expects next quarter's GDP to remain in negative territory.

Despite that, one analyst is predicting a positive outlook for the year-end.

Song Seng Wun, CEO and regional analyst, CIMB-GK Research, said: "The economy shrank quite significantly towards the end of last year. This will mean year-on-year numbers could look quite impressive.

"We could see year-end GDP in the region of two to five percent, depending on how manufacturing performs.

"For the full year, we could end up with a figure that is slightly better than the revised government estimate."

The Monetary Authority of Singapore expects next year's GDP growth to be slower than in previous post-recession periods.

It said inflation is likely to be around zero per cent this year, before rising to one to two per cent in 2010.

- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

Singapore raises full-year GDP forecast to between -2.5% and -2%

Singapore raises full-year GDP forecast to between -2.5% and -2%


By Mok Fei Fei, 938LIVE
Posted: 12 October 2009 0815 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore has raised its full-year gross domestic product or GDP forecast for this year. It now expects a contraction of between 2.5 and 2 per cent, a significant improvement from its previous contraction of between 4 and 6 per cent.

According to the advance estimates released by the Trade and Industry Ministry (MTI), third quarter GDP grew by 0.8 per cent on-year. It is the first year-on-year growth since the onset of the recession.
Compared to the previous quarter, third quarter GDP again sustained a double-digit growth of 14.9 per cent. That follows a 22 per cent on-quarter expansion in the previous quarter.

MTI said growth was driven by the continued expansion of biomedical and electronics manufacturing output. Improvements in the trade-related and tourism sectors of the economy on the back of a gradual stabilisation in global economic conditions also aided the recovery.

The manufacturing sector expanded by 35 per cent on a seasonally-adjusted quarter-on-quarter annualised basis, slower than the 59 per cent growth in the previous quarter.

MTI attributed the increase primarily to a continued surge in the production of higher value active pharmaceutical ingredients in the biomedical manufacturing cluster.

The electronics cluster also grew, due to continued restocking activities and uptick in consumer demand for electronic devices. But the construction sector declined by 0.6 per cent, compared to an expansion of 33 per cent in the previous quarter.

Slower construction activity for industrial building projects led to the decline.

The services producing industries also expanded by 9.5 per cent on a seasonally-adjusted quarter-on-quarter annualised basis.

Going forward, MTI expects a clear but modest recovery for the global economy, for which Singapore's economic prospects is closely tied to.
- 938LIVE/so

- wong chee tat :)

MAS keeps policy stance for Singdollar

MAS keeps policy stance for Singdollar


Posted: 12 October 2009 0828 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Monday it will maintain its current policy of zero appreciation of the Singapore dollar.

It said it will continue to be vigilant over developments in the external environment, including the medium-term risk of stronger global inflationary pressures.

Looking ahead, the central bank said the Singapore economy is not expected to sustain the strong pace of expansion seen in second and third quarter of this year.

While prospects for the external economies have improved, final demand in Singapore's key export markets, including IT products, has yet to recover decisively.

Significant challenges remain in the transition to private sector-driven growth as governments prepare to exit from their expansionary policies.

Household spending, particularly in the US, continues to be constrained by weak labour market, sluggish income growth and lower housing wealth. Businesses also remain cautious in their investment decisions.

Against this backdrop, the Singapore economy is likely to settle at a more gradual pace of expansion.

MAS said gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2010 is expected to be slower than in previous post-recession periods. Consumer price index (CPI) inflation is likely to be around 0 per cent in 2009, before rising to 1 to 2 per cent in 2010.


- CNA/so

Singapore population of 4.99m is older, more likely living alone

Singapore population of 4.99m is older, more likely living alone By channelnewsasia.com | Posted: 28 September 2009 1448 hrs

Population of Singapore at end-June stands at 4.99 million

Singapore: The population of Singapore at the end of June stood at 4.99 million according to the 2009 Population Trends report.

The Department of Statistics report, issued on Monday, also showed that there were 3.73 million Singapore residents and 1.25 million non-residents.

Singapore Residents and Permanent Residents formed 75% of the population, with the resident population growing 2.55% in 2009, from the 3.1% total growth over the previous year.

The statistics compiled through the register-based approach indicated that the number of Singapore citizens grew to 3.20 million. This is as the number of permanent residents rose to 0.53 million, while non-resident numbers eased to a growth of 4.8% compared to 10% seen in earlier years.

The Population Trends report also found that the Singapore population is now older with a median age of 37 years, as the baby boomers of the 1970s move into the 45-64 years age group.

There are also more women in Singapore as the gap widened in 2009, with females outnumbering males by 44,400.

While the number of marriages went up to 24,596, making it the largest number since 2000, it also turned out that more people were marrying late with many still single despite being in their thirties.

However, while more men did marry, more women were widowed, indicating the longer life-span of women.

The fertility rate continued to decline with 1.28 live births per female in 2008 compared to 1.29 a year earlier.

Women were also giving birth later, delaying till the age of 30-34 years, with fewer families opting for a third or fourth child.

Households were small, the report found, with a 10% rise in the number of people living alone.

The Population Trends report also concluded that a 2008 new-born Singapore resident could expect to live some 80 years.

- CNA/sf

More details of the 2009 Population Trends report can be found here


- wong chee tat :)

Job seekers in their 30s need reality check

Jos seekers in their 30s need reality check (Sunday Times 27 Sep)

Job seekers in their 30s need reality check
Experts advise lowering pay expectations as jobless rate for those in 30-39 age group goes up
By Shuli Sudderuddin

When Ms Cindy Lim was retrenched from her job in logistics in April, she realised that she had to lower her expectations if she were to get a new job quickly.
Rising unemployment
The labour market report for the second quarter of this year shows that the jobless rate for the 30 to 39 age group rose to 4.7 per cent, from 2.9 per cent last year. About 24,000 people were out of work, compared to 14,600 for the same period last year.
… more
Initially, the 34-year-old, who has a degree in logistics and supply chain management from the University of South Australia, expected to be paid close to what she got in her old job.
But this was a downturn and she did not get many responses despite sending resumes to many would-be employers.
She eventually landed a job in customer service last month. It was recommended by a friend and she took a $1,000 pay cut.
‘We can’t afford to be fussy,’ she said, referring to those in her age group.
Indeed, a readjustment of expectations is in order as statistics from the Ministry of Manpower show that those in the 30 to 39 age group have been hit hard by unemployment.
The labour market report for the second quarter this year shows that the jobless rate for this group rose to 4.7 per cent, from 2.9 per cent last year.
About 24,000 people in that age group were out of work, compared to 14,600 for the same period last year.
This represents an increase of 62.1 per cent, versus 39.4 per cent (for those below 30) and 48.5 per cent (for those aged 40 and over).
The jobless ranks among the 30 to 39 age group were across all educational groups, in particular those with degrees, polytechnic diplomas and below secondary school education.
HR experts said they could be shut out of new jobs because of pay expectations – even as the economy has hit a rough patch.
Mr David Ang, executive director of the Singapore Human Resource Institute, said they ask for higher pay as they are at the stage of their lives when they may need to care for young children and finance a home purchase.
‘They may only accept lower-paying jobs for a period because of this,’ he said.
Professor Richard Arvey, head of the department of management and organisation at NUS Business School, noted that employers are now cost-conscious and there might be a ’sensitivity to hiring older employees as they’re more expensive’.
Some in their 30s may also be reluctant to consider venturing into new careers, observed human resource firms.
But Mr Dhirendra Shantilal, senior vice-president (Asia-Pacific) at Kelly Services, feels that the jobless figures may be rooted in structural unemployment from the loss of jobs in certain sectors, which did not recover quickly enough and bore the brunt of the global crisis.
‘It is not an issue of employer attitude towards a certain age group or demographic segment,’ he said, noting that business clusters like finance, retail and manufacturing have suffered in the economic slowdown.
A spokesman for the Workforce Development Agency said that as of end-August, 19,000 job seekers were registered at the career centres at the community development councils.
About 4,600, or slightly above 20 per cent, were aged between 30 and 40.
The spokesman added that there are problems unique to this age group, such as childcare, which can hinder their ability to go for training, for instance.
‘There can also be mismatches in pay expectations between them and employers,’ she added, noting that some also lack the skills, such as resume writing and interview techniques, to secure a new job.
From December last year to last month, the career centres assisted and placed about 13,000 job seekers, of whom about 20 per cent were in their 30s.
Experts reassure those in this age group that they are a valuable asset to any company.
Said Mr David Wee, managing director of Lee Hecht Harrison, which helps clients recruit staff: ‘Companies know that it is important to retain high performers in their 30s – especially those who may have spent several years within an organisation and have gained considerable experience and expertise.’
He advised 30-somethings to make themselves more marketable by upgrading themselves with new skills and being more open to fresh opportunities.
For those out of work, he said: ‘In these formulative years, working on a contract or temporary basis for a while may also be a way back into the workforce.’
shulis@sph.com.sg


Changing dynamics.

- wong chee tat :)

Golden Era of Daughter in Law 며느리 전성시대

My folks have been watching this korean drama every evenings (except weekends) at Channel U and they enjoy watching it.

Not sure what had happened, from time to time, they will keep asking me to find a girlfriend....


- wong chee tat :)

Rise in the chronic jobless

Sep 16, 2009
Rise in the chronic jobless
Grads in their 30s and 40s and lowly-educated find it hard to get hired
By Goh Chin Lian

In all, Singapore has 13,900 jobs in the first half. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

SINGAPORE'S job market is stabilising after a wave of layoffs, but two groups continue to struggle to find jobs. They are university graduates in their 30s and 40s, and the lowly-educated in their 40s.

Together, they formed the majority - eight in 10 - in a swelling rank of local residents who were chronically unemployed as of June this year. These are people who, after 25 weeks of job-hunting, failed to find a job or preferred to wait for a better option.

These figures, when coupled with a record low rate of re-employment, send a sobering note of caution when interpreting the stable unemployment rate and fewer layoffs given in a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) report released on Tuesday.

The report provides finalised job market figures for the April to June period, including the first half. In all, Singapore lost 13,900 jobs in the first half. This is 26 per cent fewer than MOM's estimate of 18,800 in July.

Looking ahead, Nanyang Technological University economist Choy Keen Meng sees the job market improving as the economy has been showing initial signs of a recovery in the past three to four months. Unemployment has stabilised, he added.

The latest MOM report shows unemployment stayed at 3.3 per cent as in the previous three months. At the same time, the resident unemployment rate fell from 4.8 per cent to 4.6 per cent.

But the reason for the decline, said MOM, is that many stopped seeking jobs to pursue courses, which means they are no longer counted as unemployed.

Other positive signs of an economic pick-up: Layoffs and premature release from contracts fell by more than half in the second quarter compared to the first three months.

Layoffs fell from 10,900 to 5,170, and early contract release, from 1,860 to 810. Job vacancies, on the other hand, soared 17 per cent to 24,500. Also, for the first time in six quarters, the ratio of job vacancies to unemployed people improved, from 31 to 33 openings for every 100 job-seekers.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong told reporters during a factory visit on Tuesday that he expects fewer layoffs in the third quarter. But it is not time to celebrate yet, he said. 'The outlook remains uncertain. The labour market is likely to remain weak for the rest of the year,' he said, pointing out that bosses are still cautious about hiring.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.

chinlian@sph.com.sg

- wong chee tat :)

Testing with Fedora Linux

I supposed to blog this about 2 months ago, but I forgot....

Some 2 months ago, I decided to try out Fedora distro and found a supposedly working hard drive and test it out. Fedora boots and works great on the old computer. However, look carefully at the screen shot, do you find anything odd?


- wong chee tat :)

Blue Ocean Strategy

Blue Ocean Strategy Rbn V1

View more documents from reyland.

Found from interenet and hope it helps...

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NTU HRM Blue Ocean Strategy

Found this from youtube and hope it helps those doing this subject. Thanks to those who upload the video!

- wong chee tat :)