PM says Singapore must remain open as anxiety over job competition grows

FILE PHOTO: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (not pictured) hold a joint news conference in Singapore, August 23, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore must stay open to preserve its status as a global business hub, its prime minister said on Sunday, even as the country continues to tighten its foreign worker policies and addresses anxieties among locals over competition for jobs.

Foreign labour has long been a hot button issue in Singapore, but uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased employment worries among locals as the city state recovers from last year's record recession.