Singapore's total employment fell by 6,200 in the first quarter this year, the first quarterly contraction in nearly six years, the country's Manpower Ministry said on Monday.
According to a statement by the ministry, amid the sharp deterioration in economic conditions, the seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate here rose to 3.3 percent in March 2009 from 2.5 percent in December 2008.
The resident unemployment rate increased to 4.8 percent in March 2009 from 3.6 percent in December 2008. An estimated 87,900 residents were unemployed in March 2009. The seasonally adjusted figure was 95,700, a third more than the level in December 2008, which was at 71,800.
The ministry said that falling external demand has severely affected the country's manufacturing sector, where employment declined by 22,100. The cutback in the manufacturing industry, along with employment losses in the external-oriented services industries, more than offset gains in the domestic-oriented services and construction sectors.