Singapore’s employment rate among women remained stable in 2020

Singapore’s female employment rate has remained fairly stable at about 73% in 2020, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo.

The retrenchment rates among men and women workers were also about the same, she said, speaking at a virtual forum on gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace, reports The Straits Times.

The minister urged women to continue to learn relevant skills to grasp future work opportunities.

“I was particularly concerned because the hardest-hit sectors, for example accommodation, have got a higher representation of women within their workforce,” she said.

“When we scan the international environment, it was also very apparent that women were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and… the resulting closures to schools, as well as lockdowns in many countries.”

“I think it is more difficult for women because apart from work commitments, quite often they juggle many hats,” she said, adding that “the challenge for women to keep their skills relevant is something that we should not disregard. We have to work quite hard at it.”

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The minister also highlighted that a welcome change in the workplace would be having more women representation in company boards. Currently, women who hold senior management positions comprise some 30%, she said. 

“But our board representation is about 16%. It’s been improving but the pace can be a lot better.”