2,600 EPs not renewed in H1 of 2013
PUBLISHED ONNovember 13, 2013 12:48 AMByJacqueline Woo
SINGAPORE - About 2,600 Employment Passes (EPs) were not renewed in the first half of this year, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin revealed in Parliament yesterday.
Slightly over half of them were Q1 Pass holders, who compete with local fresh graduates and mid-level professionals, managers and executives.
The most affected industries were wholesale and retail trade, professional services, and information and communications, said Mr Tan.
He explained that the development was likely due to the tightening of the EP qualifying criteria implemented in January last year.
The number of EP holders here fell for the first time in a decade last year, from 175,400 in December 2011 to about 173,800 last December, The Business Times reported in February.
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