Written Answer by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Acting Minister for Manpower & Senior Minister of State, National Development, to Parliamentary Question on Gross Monthly Wage of the Total Working Population in Singapore from 1980 to 2011

Mrs Lina Chiam: To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower for each year from 1980 to 2011 (a) what is the gross monthly wage of the total working population in Singapore consisting of Singapore citizens, permanent residents and foreigners; and (b) how does this compare with the gross monthly wage of Singapore citizens on a yearly basis.

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin:

1. Comparable data on gross monthly income from work are only available from 1996 onwards and only for residents i.e. Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, as shown in Table 1 below.
   
   Table 1: Median Gross Monthly Income From Work of Full-Time Employed Residents and Singapore Citizens, 1996-2012 (June)

   	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
   Residents	1,950	2,078	2,240	2,026	n.a.	2,387
   Singapore Citizens	1,950	2,000	2,176	2,000	n.a.	2,320
   	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
   Residents	2,380	2,410	2,326	n.a.	2,449	2,543
   Singapore Citizens	2,320	2,320	2,260	n.a.	2,289	2,449
   	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
   Residents	2,897	2,927	3,000	3,249	3,480
   Singapore Citizens	2,748	2,748	2,887	3,070	3,248

   Source: Comprehensive Labour Force Survey
   Notes:
   1. Data exclude Full-Time National Servicemen.
   2. Gross monthly income refers to income earned from employment. It includes employer CPF contributions for employees.
   3. n.a.: 'Not Available'.
   4. Data are not available in 2000 and 2005 as the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey was not conducted due to the conduct of the Census of Population 2000 and General Household Survey 2005 by the Singapore Department of Statistics, Ministry of Trade and Industry.
2. The median gross monthly income of residents is typically higher than that for Singapore Citizens alone as Permanent Residents typically have to display good employability before they are granted residency.