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SINGAPORE : Call it leading by example. Last year, 96 per cent of statutory board officers were re-employed, as were 53 per cent of civil servants after they retired at the age of 62.
Minister in Charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean cited these figures on 17th September while giving an update on the recruitment of older workers and the re-employment of retired officers in the public sector.
Responding to questions by Members of Parliament Halimah Yacob, Christopher de Souza and Josephine Teo, he said that public sector agencies were encouraged to offer re-employment to retiring officers, particularly those who have performed well and who can continue to add value to the organisation.
"Re-employed officers are paid based on the scope of work and responsibility that they are given when they are re-employed," said Mr Teo.
"Re-employed officers need not be limited to doing their previous jobs at their previous pay. Those who are given a smaller job scope and responsibility will be paid a salary that is commensurate with the size of the new job."
Over the last three years, the civil service also recruited, on an annual basis, 270 civil servants in their 40s and another 207 above the age of 50. These numbers represent 6 and 4 per cent of the annual recruitment, respectively.
Overall, the national resident employment rate for those aged 60 to 64 has risen from 34 per cent in 2004, to 42 per cent last year.
In January, the civil service set up a database called Evergreen Connect, through which retiring and retired civil servants can sign up for job assignments in the public sector. One-third of the 1,825 officers invited have signed up and 14 placements have been made so far.
Mr Teo added that the public sector aims to put in place service-wide re-employment schemes and policies within the next three years - well ahead of re-employment legislations scheduled to kick in by 2012.
Singapore's low-skilled older workers have not been forgotten either. The Workforce Development Agency's Distributed Careerlink Network placed more than 22,000 job seekers last year.
Of these, 60 per cent were aged 40 and above, with less than 20 per cent having at least an O-level qualification. Some 60 per cent continued to stay in their jobs three months after securing employment.
Women above 55 years old were also in focus, with 22 per cent in this age group currently employed - comparable to countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, but lower than Japan (27.3 per cent), the United States (31.4 per cent) and Sweden (42.9 per cent).
A workgroup lead by Mdm Halimah, who is assistant secretary general at the National Trades Union Congress, is studying targeted strategies to enhance employability of older women and will make recommendations to the Government. - TODAY/ym
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