Preliminary estimates from the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore showed that year-on-year, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained the same at 2.1% in its third quarter ended in September. Compared with the previous quarter overall unemployment rate was the same.

Meanwhile, the Ministry added that the decline in total employment (excluding Foreign Domestic Workers) has been easing since the beginning of the year. It contracted by 2,500 in the third quarter of 2017 compared to a decrease of 4,200 during the same quarter a year ago. The decline in the third quarter of 2017 was mainly due to a decrease in Work Permit Holders in Marine and Construction, a result of low oil prices and continued weakness in construction activities respectively. However, the Ministry added that this was partly offset by the pickup in employment in Services including Professional Services, Information & Communications, Administrative & Support Services, Finance & Insurance and Accommodation.

The Ministry also stated that its September preliminary estimates also showed that 3,600 workers were retrenched in the third quarter of 2017, which was less than a year ago (4,220). It is also the third consecutive quarter where retrenchments remained lower than the corresponding quarter a year ago. Retrenchments edged down in Manufacturing, and remained similar in construction and services compared with the previous quarter.

According to the Ministry, labour demand is expected to pick up in Q4 2017, in line with seasonal hiring as seen in previous years. Hiring remains cautious in sectors such as Construction and Marine, while job opportunities continue to be available in other sectors, particularly Infocomms & Media, Finance & Insurance, Healthcare, Professional Services, and Wholesale Trade.

Singapore’s overall unemployment rate stood at 2.2% in June 2017, up 0.1% from the same period last year, according to data from the latest Labour Market Advanced Release from the Ministry of Manpower.

The Labour Market report showed that on a quarterly basis, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined among residents (3.2% in March to 3.1% in June) and citizens (3.5% in March to 3.3% in June). The overall unemployment rate remained at 2.2% in June 2017, unchanged from the quarter ending in March 2017.

Total employment (excluding Foreign Domestic Workers) contracted by 8,400 in the second quarter of 2017, a reversal from growth of 2,100 a year ago and a smaller decline than in the first quarter of 2017 (-9,400). The decline was mainly due to a decrease in Work Permit Holders in Marine and Construction, a result of low oil prices and continued weakness in construction activities respectively. At the same time, employment continued to grow in Services.

Meanwhile, layoffs fell during the quarter. Preliminary estimates from the Ministry showed that fewer workers were retrenched in the second quarter of 2017 (3,500) compared to a year ago (4,800). The number was also lower than the previous quarter (4,000). The decrease over the quarter was broad-based across industries.

Looking forward, the Ministry states that the labour market outlook remains uneven across sectors. Hiring remains cautious in sectors such as Construction and Marine, but opportunities will continue to be available in Finance & Insurance, Infocomms & Media, Healthcare, Professional Services and Wholesale Trade, which are the five sectors recently identified by the Ministry where the potential for job creation is promising.

The jobless rate in South Korea fell to 3.6% in May, down by 0.1% when compared to last year, according to data from Statistics Korea.

The total number of unemployed stood at 1,003,000, which decreased by 2,000, year-on-year. Meanwhile the total number of employed stood at 26,824,000 which was an increase of 375,000, or 1.4%, year-on-year.

The labor force participation rate stood at 63.6% in May, up 0.3% year-on-year.

Employment grew in construction, educational services and real estate and leases, while it decreased in transportation, manufacturing, finances and insurance services. The manufacturing sector saw a loss of 25,000 jobs in May, which was the tenth straight month of contraction in the sector.

On March 31, President Trump signed a congressional joint resolution of disapproval (H.J. Res. 42) that nullifies a Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration final rule. Seen by some as a limitation on states’ ability to require those who apply for unemployment benefits to submit to drug testing, that rule established, for state unemployment compensation program purposes, occupations that regularly conduct drug testing.

The DOL regulations, which were finalized on August 1, 2016, and effective September 30, 2016, implemented the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 amendments to the Social Security Act. They permit states to enact legislation that would allow state unemployment compensation agencies to conduct drug testing on UC applicants for whom suitable work (as defined under the state law) is available only in an occupation that regularly conducts drug testing (as determined under regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor). States may deny UC to an applicant who tests positive for drug use under these circumstances.

Earlier, the White House had signaled its support for H.J. Res. 42, saying that the final rule it would nullify “imposes an arbitrarily narrow definition of occupations and constrains a State’s ability to conduct a drug testing program in its unemployment insurance system.”

The Department of Labor issued a statement saying “The rule contradicted clear congressional intent—it narrowly limited the circumstances under which drug testing may be carried out and constrained a state’s ability to conduct a drug testing program under the act.” Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Ed Hugler commented that “The Department of Labor supports the president’s nullification and looks forward to examining additional flexibilities for states relative to the drug testing of persons seeking unemployment benefits.”

The 2012 law amended the Social Security Act to add a new subsection permitting states to drug test unemployment compensation applicants as a condition of eligibility and deny jobless benefits for failing the test, under two specific circumstances:

If they were terminated from employment with their most recent employer because of the unlawful use of a controlled substance.
If the only available suitable work for an individual was in an occupation that regularly conducted drug testing.