Foreign Manpower in Singapore: Classes, Policies and Management.

Since the political independence in 1965, Singapore's high growth rate policy has resulted in the labor demand exceeding the supply from the local population. This imbalance has forced the policy makers to pursue active foreign worker policy. However, unlike the advanced industrial countries, Singapore was mindful of the social, political, and economic costs of employing migrant workers. As a result, Singapore has pursued explicit policies to regulate inflow and prevent settlement of migrant workers. The prime objective of bringing in migrant workers is to address the shortage in the local labor market. This objective fundamentally informs policies on migrant workers in Singapore. Despite the fact that the migration literature is replete with accounts of the dynamics of migration polices, there is a dearth of research on migrant worker program in Singapore. We are not sufficiently aware of features and management of foreign manpower in Singapore. This research intends to fill the dearth of knowledge on this crucial and expanding field. The management of foreign manpower is vital for any labor import country as failure to ensure efficacy in the achievement of labor migration policies and program goals often generates a whole range of unintended consequences like xenophobia, politicization of migration, irregular migration, and eventually, cessation of labor migration programs. This paper examines the foreign manpower policy and its implementation mechanisms in Singapore to highlight the importance of careful and comprehensive policy and transparent management. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]