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Survey FAQ​

FAQs on National Survey on Employment, 2015


1) Why do we need the National Survey on Employment, 2015?

The survey seeks to obtain information on the employment outcomes and challenges of the job(s) that selected individuals were employed in over the past two years​​. The information collected will enable us to gain better insights on the labour market to formulate policies and programmes to shape a better future for all of us.


2) Can I be exempted from the survey? Is participation in the survey compulsory?

Your participation in the survey is important for us in compiling reliable national statistics, which will help shape policies and programmes that affect many of us. The survey is also conducted under the Statistics Act (Chapter 317), where it is compulsory for selected individuals to provide us with the necessary information.


3) Why don’t you obtain information from other government departments?

Other government departments do not have all the data we require, such as current activity status or why a person is not working. Furthermore, due to differences in the reference period and definitions used, the time lag involved, and that the database of other government agencies may not reflect up-to-date changes, it may not always be feasible to use information from other sources. For example, income reported to IRAS is for the previous year and we do not know whether the​ individual is working on a full-time or part-time basis. Also, the law may not allow other agencies to disclose personal information. This survey is one such example: it is conducted under the Statistics Act, which states that all personal information collected cannot be disclosed to anyone, not even to other government departments.


4) Why should I answer such personal questions?

Our objective is to obtain aggregated (combined) data. We are not interested in collecting personal information of individuals, but every individual's information is vital to forming an accurate representation of Singapore’s workforce. Each question is necessary for the production of the required statistics.


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