Discussion: economics of labour migration
3
10, 2020
Monzurul accumulates wealth — of English words
Over three jobs in Singapore, Monzurul got richer in his English vocabulary, not so much in the bank.
20
09, 2020
Paying off a bank loan should be easy, until it is not
To fund the required recruitment fee for his job, Habibur took a loan from Brac Bank. Even from the beginning, the repayment demands looked tight. Then the unexpected happened.
7
09, 2020
Where was your illegal recruiter? “In Singapore,” say Kamrul and Majumder
Kamrul and Majumder share something important: both their illegal recruiters were based here in Singapore. In Majumder's case, an additional payment was demanded by someone in the company.
7
08, 2020
Loan amount goes up, up and away
Shafiqul borrowed 200,000 taka from a bank to finance his recruitment cost. He now owes 250,000.
5
08, 2020
Chokder’s three jobs: win, draw, lose
We ask Chokder to tally how much he paid job agents through the three jobs he's had. If not for these hefty fees, he would have savings to support his family after his injury.
30
07, 2020
Unconnected aspirations: Training, productivity and career advancement
Our intern explores the thorny question of upskilling. Do employers see benefit in that? Are benefits shared equitably between employers and employees?
27
07, 2020
Recruitment reform — what needs to be done
A short explainer about how corrupted the recruitment system has become for migrant workers and the two key measures needed to reform the eco-system.
24
07, 2020
A precarious life: 4 years, 5 jobs
Sharif has had five jobs in Singapore over four years. Has work migration been a path to a better life for this young father and his family?
21
07, 2020
Post-Covid layoffs begin — from the hospitality sector
TWC2 is seeing more laid-off workers joining our food programme, and they're coming from an industry sector flattened by Covid-19.
18
07, 2020
“Have you got the $2,000 ready for me?”
$2,000 is cheap as far as recruiters' fees go, but just as easily lost. Razzak's story is unfortunately as common as dirty money in the migrant labour market.