INVESTIGATION ON MANPOWER SHORTAGE IN THE SINGAPORE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE ERA OF COVID19

Abstract

Singapore is experiencing a severe labour and talent shortage in the construction sector due to the abundance of large-scale infrastructure and residential projects after the pandemic. However, since it is an ongoing problem faced in the construction sector, limited studies have been conducted in the area of solving the workforce shortage in Singapore. Therefore, this research aims to identify workable solutions to resolve the manpower shortage, evaluate how effective these solutions are, and then recommend what could be done to assist Singapore in solving workforce shortage issues. A comprehensive literature review was carried out to understand the manpower needs in Singapore's construction sector before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the factors affecting the manpower statistics and what the Singapore government has done to improve the situation. This paper then reviews previous case studies from Hong Kong and the United States, where it sets out to summarise the literature concerning the impact of Manpower Shortage brought to their countries as well as strategies to increase the labour supply framework. Based on the case studies, many strategies were identified in the case studies in both Hong Kong and the United States. In Hong Kong, the top 3 most effective strategies are "Increase wages, benefits and pension", "Import foreign construction workers", and "Engage employers to provide training". In the United States, the strategies are "Improve Construction Productivity" and "Increase and Support Workers' Participation". Some of the findings are duplicated from Singapore's ongoing strategies. However, Singapore could use the findings to further enhance their existing strategies to their fullest potential by incorporating findings from the case studies. The findings will provide Singapore's Construction Industry with comprehensive information on the possible strategies that could be implemented in the Singapore context to help reduce Manpower Shortage in the near future to reduce the over-reliance on foreign workers.