Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s electronicsindustry - particularly semiconductors - has outperformed other segments of theeconomy amid the coronavirus-induced recession and will remain a major sourceof employment, Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said at a recentpress conference.

The industry as a whole reaped 5.7 billion SGD (4.2 billion USD)in fixed assets investment in the first nine months of the year and recorded376 million SGD in total business expenditure.

Chan said that these investments will create about 1,100 jobs whenthey are fully realised over the next three to five years, and come on top ofthe opportunities already created by the industry so far this year.

Around 130 electronics companies have offeredmore than 2,800 employment opportunities since April - 1,880 jobs, with therest comprising attachments and training slots, the Ministry of Trade andIndustry noted. Almost all of the jobs were for professionals, managers,executives and technicians, it said.

The industry has seenits contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) surge from less than 1 percentin 1990 to 6.9 percent last year.

The electronics industryas a whole employs 70,500 workers in semiconductors, consumer electronics andinformation technology, and accounted for about 39 percent of Singapore'smanufacturing GDP last year.

The semiconductorindustry alone lifted output 1.7 per cent year on year in the first half ofthis year, even as the overall economy suffered its worst-ever recession./.