About 3% of Singapore workers have worked overseas full-time for at least 6 months: MOM

SINGAPORE - About 3.1 per cent of Singapore workers have worked overseas full time for at least six months, with high earners making up a larger share of this group, according to data released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Nov 28.

Overseas work experience was most common among Singapore citizens and permanent residents in their 40s and 50s, with most experiencing working abroad for the first time at the age of 25 to 34, the data showed.

More managers, especially those in top managerial positions such as chief executives, managing directors and general managers, had overseas work experience. This is most prevalent among top-income earners working at multinational companies with overseas operations, where “global exposure is highly valued”, noted MOM.

This is the first time MOM is collecting data to better understand the prevalence of overseas work experience among the resident workforce, which refers to citizens and permanent residents here.

“It’s crucial for workers in the early parts of their careers to start thinking and planning for overseas work opportunities. This is something they can add to their credentials, placing them at a more advantageous position for career advancement,” said an MOM spokesperson at a media briefing on Nov 26.

Ms Jessica Zhang, senior vice-president, Asia-Pacific, for human resources and payroll solutions provider ADP, said the low take-up rate of overseas roles reflects “rational risk assessment rather than a lack of ambition”.

She noted that many Singaporean workers are already operating in a high-cost, high-pressure environment where financial stability matters.

To improve take-up rates of overseas assignments, she said it is vital to define return pathways and reintegration plans, so employees can view them “not as a gamble but as a purposeful step in their long-term career development”.

Timing also matters, said Ms Linda Teo, country manager of ManpowerGroup Singapore, as overseas assignments are often easier to consider earlier in one’s career when personal and professional responsibilities may be fewer.

“For individuals at later career stages, additional considerations such as caregiving or schooling arrangements can make relocation more complex,” she said.

Another consideration is compensation, she noted, adding that it is not uncommon for companies to relocate roles overseas as part of a “cost-saving measure”, where employees being relocated are likely offered local packages.

“After currency conversion, these packages may be less competitive than what employees earn in Singapore, reducing the appeal of these opportunities,” she noted.

The MOM data showed that one in six – or 16.8 per cent – full-time resident employees currently earning at least $30,000 a month had overseas work experience.

The top three destinations for resident employees with overseas work experience were Singapore’s main trading partners – mainland China, the US and Malaysia – the data showed.

Nearly one in five (18.3 per cent) worked in mainland China in their latest overseas stint, most commonly in the manufacturing sector. Another 13.6 per cent worked in the US, typically in growth sectors such as professional services, information and communications, and financial and insurance services. And 10.1 per cent worked in Malaysia, mostly in the manufacturing and construction sectors.

During their most recent overseas stint, 45.2 per cent of employees worked in professional roles, and most worked within outward-oriented sectors.

The most common industry was manufacturing (16.8 per cent). Employees were mostly working overseas as science and engineering professionals, and production and specialised services managers, and might have been posted overseas to oversee the production process.

Other common industries were financial and insurance services (14.2 per cent) and information and communications (10.3 per cent), where Singapore residents were mostly working as accountants, financial analysts, and information and communications technology professionals.

“These patterns underscore that international experience remains a critical pathway to developing leadership and cross-cultural capabilities in a global business hub like Singapore,” said the ministry.