What Happened Last Friday (Jan 26)

Stories you might have missed

Singapore reviews local qualifying salary; more funding for employers to raise wages in Budget 2024
SINGAPORE is reviewing the local qualifying salary (LQS) – the minimum that local workers must be paid by an employer that hires foreign workers – under the series of moves to support lower-wage workers, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad on Friday (Jan 26), without giving further details.

Private home prices up 2.8% in Q4, but rents fall 2.1%; prices up 6.8% for the year: URA
PRICES of private residential properties rose 2.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023, while rents fell for the first time in three years, figures from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) showed on Friday (Jan 26).

Singapore pre-loved luxury dealers ride price jumps in Hermes, Chanel and other top brands
IN 2019, a small Chanel Classic Flap handbag would have sold for S$7,100 at the brand’s retail stores in Singapore. Four years on, in 2023, the same bag almost doubled in price, going for S$13,960 at Chanel stores.

Singapore’s factory output slips back into negative territory in December, down 2.5%
SINGAPORE’S factory output contracted 2.5 per cent year on year (yoy) in December, dragged down by a double-digit decline in the volatile biomedical sector, data from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) showed on Friday (Jan 26).

Office rents in central region up 0.3% in Q4, islandwide vacancy down 9.9%
THE Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) office rental index for Singapore’s central region rose 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023 over the preceding quarter.

Singapore shares end week higher as regional markets trade mixed
SINGAPORE stocks ended in the black on the last trading day of the week on Friday (Jan 26), amid a mixed showing by regional bourses.