Population and Labour Force: Dynamics and Challenges in Brunei Darussalam - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 21
About This Presentation
Title:

Population and Labour Force: Dynamics and Challenges in Brunei Darussalam

Description:

Population and Labour Force: Dynamics and Challenges in Brunei Darussalam Dr SY Teo Demographic Trends Population Growth (1999-2003): Demographic Trends Population ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:33
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 22
Provided by: bruneires
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Population and Labour Force: Dynamics and Challenges in Brunei Darussalam


1
Population and Labour Force Dynamics and
Challenges in Brunei Darussalam
  • Dr SY Teo

2
Demographic Trends
  • Population Growth (1999-2003)


3
Demographic Trends
  • Population Growth (1960-2001)

4
Population and Demographic Changes
  • Brunei has a small but steadily growing
    population (see previous tables) with an annual
    growth rate of 1.8 in 2001.
  • The total population amounted to 348,800
    comprising of 176,300 males and 172,500 females
    according to latest available statistics.

5
Pie Chart showing Age Composition
6
Observations
  • Brunei has a young population, 50 percent are
    below the age of 24 and about 32 percent of its
    population under 15 (this refers to both Citizens
    and PRs.

  • This number is larger than percentages for
    similar age group in developed economies such as
    Australia (22 percent) and the US (26 percent).

7
An important human resource question
  • Whether or not there will be adequate employment
    opportunities for this large expansion in the
    local workforce?

8
Challenges
  • Young adults are the countrys greatest assets
    for the present and future. Therefore it is
    essential that the employment needs of this young
    population must not be overlooked especially as
    youth unemployment is increasingly occupying
    centre stage.
  • According to 1995 LFS, more than 25 percent of
    unemployed persons aged less than 20.

9
Current situations
  • Brunei relies heavily on immigrant workers for
    both skilled technical and managerial positions
    as well as for the lower paid retailing and
    construction sector.
  • The influx of guest workers has significantly
    altered Bruneis population growth and its ethnic
    composition. For instance, Other racial groups
    have increased their share of total population
    from approximately 3 percent in 1971 to 6 percent
    in 1981 and it reached 11 percent by 1991.

10
Opportunities or Threat?
  • Good?
  • Complements to local workforce
  • still needs expatriate workers in the economic
    growth to bridge the demand for skilled labour
  • Bad?
  • Substitutes
  • A large influx of workers in industries and
    sectors that locals could be employed

11
Points for ponder
  • Contrary to neighbouring country such as
    Singapore which is facing an acute problem of
    ageing population
  • -health care financing
  • - replacement rate
  • - dependency burden
  • - first wave of baby boomers are retiring
  • - revising statutory retirement age 62-67
  • Instead, Brunei is facing a large young
    population and targeting this young population
    needs a different set of policies

12
Critical Review (1)
  • Are the young finding it difficult to find a job,
    employed, unemployed?
  • (unemployment issues)
  • If employed, are they equipped with appropriate
    skills for nation building (human resource
    development management, particularly to relieve
    mismatch workforce)

13
Critical Review (2)
  • If unemployed, are they being choosy as reported
    (motivational workshop), jobs taken by guest
    workers especially on lower skill occupations
    (labour market policies), not enough jobs (job
    creation)

14
Policy objectives
  • Increase the probability that the unemployed will
    find jobs
  • Those who are employed to increase their
    productivity and earnings

15
Policy initiatives
  • We need a multitude of factors
  • At macro level
  • A cultivation of a competitive business
    environment
  • An efficient infrastructure
  • more flexible and dynamic industrial structure
    to encourage investment
  • (entrepreneurial level)
  • Continue on slide 16 ..

16
  • Less outsourcing of lower-skilled service
    activities to other countries
  • Appropriate incentives to induce work effort
  • A quality workforce
  • Improved workplace practices

17
Possible recommendation on active policies (at
micro level)
  • Annual pay reviews
  • - seniority-based pay system (public)
  • - performance-based pay system (private)
  • Apprenticeship programme to be introduced from
    upper secondary level
  • Training, Retraining, skills upgrading made
    compulsory ()
  • Attitude adopt to be less stereotyping about
    gender roles

18
  • In Chile, for example, training taskforce
    comprising representatives of employers,
    employees and the Government. This tripartism
    strengthens accountability while offering the
    taskforce the autonomy necessary to respond to
    the needs of todays dynamic economy.

19
More recommendations
  • Attitude towards work responsibility
  • Job search assistance (both in public and private
    sectors)
  • Micro-enterprise development and self-employment
    (research on the proportion of businesses that
    survive,the number of additional jobs created and
    other business support services)
  • Constant effort is needed to monitor and evaluate
    the policies in order to ensure quality

20
  • The major challenge in the decades ahead is to
    tread the fine line between promoting economic
    competitiveness and protecting the economic
    wellbeing of its people.

21
Thank You
  • Further discussion, please contact
  • Dr Siew Yean Teo
  • Department of Economics
  • Faculty of Business, Economics
  • Policy Studies
  • E-mail syteo_at_fbeps.ubd.edu.bn
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com