Parliament: MOM survey shows over 80% of job seekers do not perceive discrimination in job search

The 2018 Manpower Ministry survey also found that most employees feel fairly treated in terms of employment terms and benefits, training, career development and performance evaluation. But some studies have found a slight rise in the perception of wo
The 2018 Manpower Ministry survey also found that most employees feel fairly treated in terms of employment terms and benefits, training, career development and performance evaluation. But some studies have found a slight rise in the perception of workplace discrimination. ST FILE PHOTO

More than eight in 10 job seekers in Singapore do not feel their gender, race, religion, nationality, marital status or number of children stopped them from finding work.

Most employees also feel fairly treated by companies in terms of employment terms and benefits, training, career development and performance evaluation.

These findings from a 2018 Ministry of Manpower (MOM) survey were disclosed in Parliament yesterday by Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad in his reply to Non-Constituency MP Leon Perera.

Mr Zaqy also said complaints on workplace discrimination had dropped from 580 in 2015 to 200 in 2018, making up less than 1 per cent of all complaints received.

He added that employment rates of Singapore residents aged 55 to 64 increased from 57 per cent in 2009 to 68 per cent last year.

The employment rate of women residents aged 25 to 64 climbed from 64 per cent to 73 per cent.

Mr Zaqy said the survey was nationally representative and covered about 3,100 individuals and 3,400 establishments.

MOM would, on occasion, publish a paper on fair employment and put it out in the later part of this year, he added.

Recent studies, however, show a slight rise in the perception of discrimination in Singapore.

A 2018 survey of about 4,000 Singapore residents shows almost 60 per cent of Malays and about 56 per cent of Indians perceive discriminatory treatment at work. The figures are a slight rise from 58.7 per cent of Malays and 52.6 per cent of Indians in a similar survey done in 2013.

Both surveys were done jointly by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and racial harmony group OnePeople.sg

In the latest study, perception of discrimination when applying for a job is four times higher for minorities than for Chinese, and more than three times higher when seeking a promotion.

An MOM study reported last month that in 2018, the unadjusted median monthly salary of a woman working full time was 16.3 per cent less than her male counterpart, a slightly bigger gap than 16 per cent in 2002. Higher-paying roles were also dominated by men.

In a separate end-2017 IPS study of around 2,000 residents, 66 per cent disagreed with the statement that "older workers do not face age discrimination when looking for work".

Tee Zhuo

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 04, 2020, with the headline Parliament: MOM survey shows over 80% of job seekers do not perceive discrimination in job search. Subscribe