Topic > The Problem of High Unemployment Rates in Singapore

Unemployment has always been a key concern and an urgent problem across the world. In this essay, I would like to focus on unemployment rates in Singapore. As a small country, having a high employment rate is disastrous for the economy and it is vital that Singapore continues to maintain a low unemployment rate to maintain its gross domestic product (GDP) lead over the world. Based on statistics from the Ministry of Labor, the annual unemployment rate of citizens has been around 2.9-3.3% over the past 5 years, with a maximum of 3.3% in 2017. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There are many possible problems that could arise from low employment rates, some of which include graduates being unable to find a job and being held up in debt because of the loan they took out to attend college. There may also be the possible increase in crime rates due to citizens having no income and turning to crime to support their economic needs, negatively impacting the security and well-being of a country. Unemployment also leads to no income, and families will face difficulties making ends meet and perhaps deny needed educational opportunities to their children, which in turn deprives the economy of those future skills. Overall, unemployment is a very serious problem that can have a persistent, self-inflicted negative impact on businesses and have a detrimental effect on the overall economic health of the country. Based on a study by technology company Cisco and economic forecasting firm Oxford Economically, about a fifth of Singapore's full-time equivalent workforce would see their jobs replaced by technology. As technology drives changes in the world and is highly prevalent in today's society, this has also come at a cost in terms of job losses. This is extremely evident especially in the retail sector, where many major retailers report losses due to online competition. Some examples of large retailers closing stores in Singapore are Isetan Westgate and Crabtree and Evelyn who will be closing their stores in the coming months due to losses and this will indirectly affect many employees due to job losses. In the manufacturing sector, machines are expected to replace even low-skilled jobs such as cleaning, which a robot could potentially perform. This created enormous pressure for struggling older workers to keep up or be replaced. With the rise of technology, job losses due to technology will be more widespread than ever. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In my opinion, computational thinking can be used to address unemployment rates in Singapore. The term computational is defined as the ability to be calculated or quantified. Many solutions can be derived with the help of computational thinking by analyzing unemployment trends in Singapore over the past decade, classifying them according to different age groups, education level or job sector. This data can then be used effectively to try to match workers to jobs.