In line with the trend of improved sentiments, 92.3 per cent of migrant workers surveyed last year said they would recommend Singapore as a place to work, compared with 84 per cent in 2018.
The top five reasons cited were Singapore’s safe working environment, which was highlighted by 84.4 per cent of respondents, followed by high salary (71.2 per cent), adequate worker protection (65.2 per cent), good living conditions (46 per cent), and stable jobs (44.1 per cent).
Of those surveyed, 97 per cent agreed that MOM had been effective in protecting them, with the same proportion reporting that their working conditions felt safe. Both indicators were up from around 87 per cent in 2018.
About 89.3 per cent of the migrant workers also found it easy to approach the ministry on employment-related matters, compared with 82.8 per cent in 2018.
Trust within the workplace appeared strong as well, with 99.5 per cent of respondents saying they would turn to their supervisor or employer in the event of a work injury.
“Through close collaboration among the government, employers, workers and stakeholders such as dormitory operators and non-governmental organisations, we have made significant improvements in migrant workers’ well-being and continued to maintain a positive work environment for them,” said MOM.
“Our migrant workers play a vital role in building our nation, and their well-being remains a key priority for MOM,” added Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.
The ministry also pointed out that strong regulatory framework and “progressive measures” have fostered trust and confidence in Singapore as a place of work.
Other findings from the survey also indicated nearly universal adoption of electronic salary payment, with 92 per cent of migrant workers receiving their pay directly into their bank accounts.
In addition, 88.5 per cent said they were provided with their preferred food arrangements – typically cooking their own meals or purchasing food from stalls – suggesting employers’ responsiveness to workers’ preferences.
With regards to the retention of personal documents, the proportion of migrant workers who kept their own passports increased from 38.8 per cent in 2018 to 68.4 per cent in 2024.
Among migrant workers who did not keep their own passports, 83.3 per cent reported in 2024 that their passports were returned to them upon request, up from 70.4 per cent in 2018.
FIRST MIGRANT WORKER EMPLOYER SURVEY
On Thursday, MOM also released findings from its inaugural Migrant Worker Employer Survey, which showed that employers generally reported positive sentiments towards their workers.
The ministry said that it conducted the survey to understand employers’ perspectives on hiring and managing their migrant workforce.
Among the employers surveyed in 2024, 70.8 per cent expressed satisfaction with the quality of their migrant workers, while only 1.4 per cent reported dissatisfaction. The remaining 27.8 per cent were neutral.
