UK firms here hire more locals after EP changes, poll finds

But availability of top-tier talent and eligibility for work passes remain concerns

- Tay Hong Yi

British companies here have stepped up hiring locals since a points-based framework for Employment Pass applications was rolled out in September 2023, noted a new survey.

It found that 26 per cent of 50 firms polled had taken on more local workers as a result of the Complementarity Assessment (Compass) framework kicking in, although most of the companies felt that they could have accessed the talent they needed anyway.

The firms polled by the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore (BritCham) in September 2024 ranged from small and medium-sized enterprises to multinationals.

The results, released on Oct 24, pointed to a mixed outlook, marked by increased customer demand but also caution amid global headwinds buffeting Singapore.

BritCham found that the total workforce size of respondents in the past six months expanded by 18 per cent. Singaporeans and permanent residents made up 69 per cent of those working here for the firms surveyed.

Meanwhile, the number of foreign nationals who require a form of employment pass working at these firms shrank by 4 per cent, compared with a 5 per cent expansion in the previous poll carried out in August 2023.