Singapore is seeking to attract ‘higher-calibre’ foreign workers under a new points-based visa system, as part of the government’s broader push to boost local employment while positioning itself as a global city, reports Bloomberg, citing a statement from Manpower Minister Tan See Leng. The revised scoring system is set to kick in from September next year for new applicants of an Employment Pass, holders of which currently make up about 14% of the financial and business hub’s foreign workforce. The changes seek to address concerns among residents about a perceived bias toward hiring foreigners. Singapore is currently facing a shortage of workers across sectors ranging from the labour-intensive construction and services industries to the high-skilled tech and finance sectors, as foreigners left amid tight border controls during the pandemic. Leng said that Singapore is hoping to address the crunch by wooing highly educated women and older employees back into the jobs market.