Job vacancy in manufacturing sector plunges 84%

Just 600 people were taken in.

According to OCBC, net job creation by the manufacturing sector plunged to just 600 persons in Q4 2012, down 84% qoq, whereas services and construction employment surged to 32.1k (+253% qoq) and 11.1k (+14%). 

For the full year 2012, unemployment rate averaged 2% which was unchanged from 2011.

Here's more from OCBC:

With the increasingly binding foreign manpower constraints, it is possible that the unemployment rate may touch the record 1.7% last seen in Q4 2007 as the Singapore economy continues its modest recovery.

Local employment (including PRs) rose sharply by 56% qoq to 59.2k in 2012, whereas foreign employment declined 17% qoq to 70.4k, albeit still higher than the 59.7k seen in 2010. As a proportion of all workers, foreigners still accounted for 33.6% in Dec 2012, up from 32.8% in Dec 2011.