Lawmaker urges solutions for unemployment in construction, retail sectors

Leong Pou U

Lawmaker Leong Pou U has called on the government, in a recent written inquiry, to identify more effective solutions to address specific unemployment issues.
The lawmaker noted that a recent survey found the unemployment rate remains elevated, primarily due to the situation of those previously employed in the construction and retail sectors.

In the inquiry, Leong noted that the employment survey released by the Statistics and Census Service shows that while both overall and local resident unemployment rates have continued to decline, among unemployed residents, those previously engaged in construction and retail constitute the majority.

“Similarly, among underemployed residents, those from construction, real estate, and business services sectors predominate. This highlights that the employment situation in the construction sector is more concerning than in other industries,” he said.

The lawmaker added that while the government has been using measures such as requiring bidders for public tenders to include a minimum number of local workers in their proposals, these methods largely fail to produce results, as they do not apply to private construction projects, and public projects are limited in number.

The lawmaker urges the government to establish more straightforward guidelines and stronger oversight of rules governing the prioritization of local residents for outsourced public works projects, and to increase investment in public works by launching additional projects to create more employment opportunities for construction workers.