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Foreign workforce numbers

Pass type Dec 2015 Dec 2016 Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019 Jun 2020
Employment Pass (EP) 187,900 192,300 187,700 185,800 193,700 189,700
S Pass 178,600 179,700 184,400 195,500 200,000 188,800
Work Permit (Total) 997,100 992,700 965,200 972,600 999,000 940,200
  • Work Permit (FDW)
 231,500 239,700 246,800 253,800 261,800 252,600
  • Work Permit (CMP sectors)
 423,300 407,500 360,700 355,700 370,100 351,800
Other work passes2 23,600 28,300 30,700 32,100 34,700 33,100
Total foreign workforce 1,387,300 1,393,000 1,368,000 1,386,000 1,427,500 1,351,800
Total foreign workforce
(excluding FDWs) 		1,155,800 1,153,200 1,121,300 1,132,200 1,165,600 1,099,200
Total foreign workforce
(excluding FDWs and Work Permits in CMP sectors) 		732,500 745,700 760,600 776,500 795,600 747,500

You can download the Foreign Workforce Numbers file.

FOOTNOTE

  1. Data may not add up to the total due to rounding.
  2. “Other work passes” includes Letter of Consent (LOC), pre-approved LOC, Training Work Permit (TWP) and Training Employment Pass (TEP).