Number of Finance, Accounting, Human Resources and IT Positions Outsourced or Relocated Overseas

Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Manpower in the past three years (a) what is the number of (i) finance, (ii) accounting, (iii) human resources and (iv) information technology positions outsourced or relocated overseas; (b) how many such positions have been converted to contract arrangements; (c) whether there are measures to safeguard job security and progression for locals in these roles; and (d) if so, what are the measures.

The Ministry of Manpower does not collect data on the number of positions within companies that have been outsourced or relocated overseas, nor on the number of positions within companies that are converted to contract arrangements. Over the last three years, resident employment has grown in (a) IT and Other Information Services, (b) Financial Services and (c) Legal, Accounting and Management Services.

The Government is committed to supporting Singaporeans amid business restructurings. Initiatives like the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, Career Conversion Programmes and the Mid-Career Pathways Programme help Singaporeans stay industry-relevant and pursue new job roles and opportunities, including in finance, accountancy and IT. We also support overseas career development through programmes like the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme for employers. Local professionals and employers should tap on these programmes to invest in upskilling.

As economic change accelerates, we will continue to review our measures to ensure locals are able to upskill and reskill for better prospects. We are studying such measures under the Economic Strategy Review set up earlier this year.