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Dragon,
Hey u must thank all of us for not agreeing to that ex-friend's request to outcast you from our outing!


Mayi,
Insecured women will of course feel threatened by young gals like u. ;)
 
Job losses double to 12,400


THE job market shows signs of improvement but for one surprise blip: The number of jobs wiped out between April and June this year has doubled to 12,400.

'The most important message is to remind all of us that the worst is not yet over.'
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong


With this increase, Singapore is facing for the first time a situation it last encountered in the 2003 recession: a drop in employment level for two quarters in a row.

In all, Singapore lost 18,800 jobs in the first half of this year, according to preliminary employment figures released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday.

The loss of jobs is a dramatic change of fortune from last year, when more than 100,000 jobs were created in the first half as the economy boomed.

Analysts believe that most of the job losses in this second quarter are due to retrenchments and employers not renewing the work permits of foreign workers.

The rest can be traced to bosses freezing employment, retirement and redundancies or the early release of contract workers.

But at the same time, bosses are firing fewer workers.

Layoffs and redundancies have halved to 5,500, a decline the labour movement indicated last month when it said there were fewer job cuts among unionised companies.

But what struck most analysts is the unemployment rate, which has held steady at 3.3 per cent in June. This exceeded their expectations as they had forecast a higher rate, above 3.5 per cent.

They attributed the lower rate to the non-renewal of the work permits of foreigners, who are then not counted among the unemployed here.

Despite the mixed signals, the overall picture of the job market is 'much brighter' than projected, said analysts.

'We are seeing a gradual bottoming out in the labour market before it improves towards the end of the year,' said DBS Bank economist Irvin Seah.

He does not share the view of government and labour leaders who had warned of the threat of a second round of layoffs later this year.

Both Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong and labour chief Lim Swee Say, in their comments on the latest figures yesterday, said it was still too early to celebrate.

'The most important message is to remind all of us that the worst is not yet over,' Mr Gan told reporters at the sidelines of an event.

But the figures are 'encouraging', he said, adding: 'It reflects the fact that workers, employers and the Government have been able to work together to work through this recession as a team.'

He also credited government aid measures for minimising layoffs and stabilising the jobless rate, which includes foreigners working here.

He cited the Jobs Credit wage subsidy scheme and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur), which subsidises worker training.

They were particularly instrumental in lowering the jobless rate among residents from 4.8 per cent in March to 4.6 per cent in June.

The dip is due to more job seekers deferring their job search in pursuit of training courses, said the MOM in its report.

Out-of-work residents attending training are not counted as unemployed.

But such an artificial propping up of the jobless rate may not be sustained for long, say analysts.

HSBC economist Prakriti Sofat predicts that the jobless rate will peak at around 4 per cent at the end of the year.

This prognosis echoes the warning of further layoffs towards the end of the year by Mr Lim, secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

'So far, the NTUC has received retrenchment notification for more than 1,500 workers,' he said.

It is due to two reasons: Some companies can no longer hold on to workers due to weak global demand for their goods, while others are moving out of Singapore to a cheaper location.

As a result, the economy could plunge again. This 'double dip' would spell a W-shaped recovery.

Nanyang Technological University economist Choy Keen Meng, however, was more upbeat.

'At the rate things are panning out, I'm confident retrenchments might be capped at 30,000 for the whole year,' he said, a figure similar to the last peak in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis.
 
This whole outcast saga only made a mockery of the person who started it. I only thought kids will do that. Sometimes, I overheard kids in my Primary School saying to each other "You do this to me. I won't 'friend' you liao"...faint!

But this saga has somehow brought us closer. I always felt that people have eyes to judge for themselves and lies will soon crumple upon the person who started it.

Thanks to all for your wisdom.
 
"I was kenna scolded and got to listen to hours of rantling about a week before my wedding, the period when I was super busy.

I was again kenna interrogated why I invited certain friend to banquet. "

Eh what the? It's your wedding and you have to seek approval from the person for who you gonna invite? I'll place such people sitting in the toilet if they turn up. Feeling ever so important when they don't even get their stand right. I did meet such ppl too during my wedding.

Ever think they are so right and full of themselves *Yawnz* when they can't even wipe their own arses clean. Feel that they deserve to be treated like kings and worshipped by all. Till they were told off by the others that they can shut their comments and keep it for their own wedding haha.

I'll just say, they are only seeking for attention and jealous. Nothing much else. It's the inner devil eating them up.
 
"I'll just say, they are only seeking for attention and jealous. Nothing much else. It's the inner devil eating them up."

Indeed!
 
Anyway I don't bother about the bad things that happened at my wedding anymore. I mentioned it here because someone asked hehe.

I rather remember the happy moments instead.
 
Haha my students asked me if I had Red and White clothes at home? All of them are going to wear Red and White clothes this Friday.

Does your office have the practice of wearing Red and White clothes for National Day? My previous companies didn't have.
 
Haha got meh.... so on ah. Rem to paint on the moon and stars if not would be other country's flag leh. I still waiting for the town council to come hang the flag for me :x
 
HBH,
This year, residents seem reluctant to hang flags ah? ;) I only saw 1 resident hanging a flag so far! The remaining flags I saw are hang by the town councils. If hang wrongly, will get fined one woh.

Today ERP rates increase!
 
Haha I dunno about the others. But I don't see the need to make it a point to go do it. It's just an expression to me. I celebrate the nation's independance by getting drunk happily haha.

I rem this once when we were underage and drinking during national day at some void deck areas. Got approached by cops. Underage Drinking+smoking. We pulled up some lame excuses and mentioned that we are drinking because we felt happy for the nation. And we were let off just being told to return home earlier lol.


I do see some cars gluing those small pole flags to their side mirrors and all over. Its... U....G.....L.....Y!
 
Haha so far I've seen 2. One was a cab. I think the cabby had at least 7 to 8 flags and across the screen at the back. Even more glamour than the limo our pressi always arrives in at NDP. 1 flag nia haha
 
I saw one this morning...think it was the one that was reported in the papers some 2 weeks ago.
He has more than 8 flags lor...

He even has one huge one pasted on the boot.
 
Another one is this guy decorated his bike fully with sunflowers. Machiam those Funeral lorries like that. And this guy quite famous cos he had been stalking a radio deejay. Think he stay somewhere around mayflower crescent saw him a few times before.
 
Heart,
How are u spending your long wkend?

HBH,
U so deprived of sleep?

Mayi,
Diving and sun-tanning?

Mark,
Which spot in Msia has nice food? I like the fried kway tiao and Roti Prata in Msia. Sometimes I will eat Pizza Hut at JB because it's 50% cheaper than Spore one.
 
I like this small, white car with Zen prints like folding fans, pink blossoms, Jap lady in pink Kimono. It's always at the carpark near my parent's block.

My eyes popped out when I saw that its owner was a guy lol.
 
greenie, not diving this time.. going for some kick ass (my aust colleague always like to add this word in) water sports like para sailing, jet ski, banana boat and kayaking.. not forgetting SPA...
 
cuc, still ok bah.. will go for SPA and relax (nua) on the first day, water sports on second day and then back to sg the next day.. hee hee..

ahhh.. finally the PH is here...
 
i brought my children to watch fireworks over the weekend .. my eldest is terrified of it eversince my family took her to the July 4th celebrations .. aiyoh, even before the fireworks start, she's already putting on her shoes (we were having a picnic) and getting together her things, stand there and keep saying i want to go home now, i want to go home now ..
 
Cucl,
I have emailed the contractor contacts to you. Haha seriously, I don't know how tiny your stuff is. I will leave u to call them and check out the details.

Your gal probably treated the fireworks as explosions that she saw in cartoons? :P
 
Afternoon.
happy.gif
 
Yes yes! We shld hold a celebration man! I hate it wen ppl raised their voice at me for no reason, shld wake up from her stupid ideas. No one owe her a living! We shall go celebrate after our dinner on sat. Or maybe we can celebrate it during our dinner and 2nd round too. Its smthing worth to be celebrated for! Wahahaha~~~~
 

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