ST just reported the following. Is situation really that bad? Honestly none of the people I know are affected by Covid-19, mostly just staying at home rather than going to office and many are enjoying the extra time saved!

The number of employees placed on shorter work weeks or temporary layoffs rose to an unprecedented high of 81,720 in the second quarter, as firms battled the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Locals - that is, Singaporeans and permanent residents - formed the bulk of the 42,190 employees on short work weeks, while foreigners were the majority of the 43,720 on temporary layoffs.

The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for Singaporeans rose steadily over the quarter and reached 4.3 per cent in July, up from 4 per cent in June and 3.5 per cent in March.

MOM said it started collecting unemployment data monthly since April, and will release the figures monthly from here on, instead of quarterly, in an effort to better inform policy decisions.

The unemployment rate for locals rose to 4.1 per cent in July, up from 3.8 per cent in June and 3.3 per cent in March, while the overall unemployment rate - for locals and foreigners combined - rose to 3 per cent in July, up from 2.8 per cent in June and 2.4 per cent in March.