S'pore's jobless rate jumps in Q2, nearing financial crisis peak

Singapore's jobless rate rose sharply in the second quarter to a new decade-high of 2.9 percent, provisional data showed on Wednesday, as the Covid-19 pandemic saw employment shrink in the services and construction sector.

The overall unemployment rate climbed from 2.4 percent in the first quarter, moving within sight of a 3.4 percent peak hit during the global financial crisis of 2009.