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Foreign workforce numbers

Pass type Dec 2014 Dec 2015 Dec 2016 Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019
Employment Pass (EP) 178,900 187,900 192,300 187,700 185,800 193,700
S Pass 170,100 178,600 179,700 184,400 195,500 200,000
Work Permit (Total) 991,300 997,100 992,700 965,200 972,600 999,000
  • Work Permit (FDW)
 222,500 231,500 239,700 246,800 253,800 261,800
  • Work Permit (construction)
 322,700 326,000 315,500 284,900 280,500 293,300
Other work passes2 15,400 23,600 28,300 30,700 32,100 34,700
Total foreign workforce 1,355,700 1,387,300 1,393,000 1,368,000 1,386,000 1,427,500
Total foreign workforce
(excluding FDWs) 		1,133,200 1,155,800 1,153,200 1,121,300 1,132,200 1,165,600
Total foreign workforce
(excluding FDWs and construction) 		764,200 780,000 787,500 788,300 804,600 824,200

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).
  3. Figures for 2019 have been revised to take into account changes in policy (since late 2018) allowing non-resident spouses of Singapore citizens and PRs to seek employment.