Chart of the Day: Singapore's total employment jumped by only 28,900 in 1Q13

Lower than the seasonal high.

According to a report by MoM, total employment grew by 28,900 in the first quarter of 2013, substantially lower than the seasonal high increase of 44,000 in the last quarter of 2012, but slightly above the 27,200 in the first quarter of 2012. 

This brought total employment to 3,386,500 in March 2013, which was 4.0% higher than a year ago.

The bulk of employment gains in the first quarter of 2013 continued to come from services (21,100), mainly community, social & personal services (6,300) and professional services (3,400).

Construction added 8,400 workers. On the other hand, manufacturing employment shrank by 1,200, following the weak performance in manufacturing output.