A further decline has been reported in the number of unemployed people living in Singapore, according to new figures.

Data from the government's Ministry of Manpower has revealed the proportion of citizens in the nation's labor force has increased by a figure of 1.8 per cent per year from 2001 to 2010, while the work participation rate rose from 63.7 per cent to 64.7 per cent during this period.

Furthermore, some 77 per cent of all Singaporeans aged between 25 and 64 are currently employed, while one in four citizens are degree-holders – a figure which has risen by 14 per cent since 2001.

According to the new data, those living in the south-east Asian country are also earning 29 per cent more now than they were at the start of the decade.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, deputy prime minister for Singapore and minister for Manpower, recently said: "We are putting full effort into helping vulnerable workers improve their livelihoods. We will also ensure fair employment practices and safety at the workplace, and harmonious industrial relations."

Posted by Lee Thrace