Earthtimes.org
1 Jul 2008
Singapore - The wage gap in Singapore is particularly acute among older and lower-skilled workers, a report on wages said Tuesday. Managers in their 40s are making top dollar with those between 40 and 44 earning nearly double the amount of managers aged 25 to 29, the Manpower Ministry's report said.
Going by the national median, a manager in the finance industry earned about 9,200 Singapore dollars (6,764 US dollars) in gross monthly wages.
The wages of lower-skilled and blue-collar workers rose only slightly and peaked early in their 30s.
Cleaners, labourers and related workers are in this group, were paid around 800 Singapore dollars monthly.
Managers earned 4.8 times more, with the gap widening in 10 years. It was 4.1 times more in 1997, the data said.
Economists said employers have stepped up their hiring of cheaper foreign workers instead of spending money on retraining.
The stagnant wages of the poorest are among the lower-skilled are "unlikely to go away anytime soon," an analyst said.
Top earners are specialized surgeons, with a medium monthly gross wage of 22,196 Singapore dollars (16,320 US dollars), the report said.
Women tend to earn less than men, but some buck the trend: younger women aged 25 to 29.
Those in sales and services earned 14 per cent more than their male counterparts and 12 per cent more as managers.
Pay becomes smaller as women grow older and take a break to care for families, the report noted.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/216082,singapores-wage-gap-acute-among-older-and-lower-skilled-workers.html
