In 2000, Singapore's employed workforce totaled 2.19 million. Of this number, 30% were employed in industry and 70% in the service sector. About 24% of the labor force consists of some 600,000 foreign workers. The unemployment rate was 4.7% in 2001.
In 2001, there were 72 registered trade unions in Singapore, with some 350,000 members. All but nine were affiliated with Singapore's National Trade Unions Congress (which represents, as a result, about 99% of the country's organized workers). The government generally asserts a strong influence over trade policies. Workers have the right to strike but rarely do so. Collective bargaining is utilized.
The standard legal workweek is 44 hours, with one day off each week. An annual bonus equal to at least one month's salary is customarily paid. Minors as young as 12 may work with the permission of the commissioner of labor but there are few applications for such permission and one has never been granted. In practice, the minimum working age is 14 and violations of this regulation are very rare. The government has set minimum workplace health and safety regulations which are effectively enforced. There is no minimum wage.