Manpower was the real problem, and in particular the difficulty of persuading engineers and skilled tradesmen to leave the United States to dig a ditch in a fetid tropical swamp.

ECONOMIST: American canal building

"Foreign workers complement the resident workforce in certain sectors, such as the construction and marine sectors, by taking on lower-skilled jobs that support higher-tier professional jobs held by Singaporeans, " the Ministry of Manpower's National Population and Talent Division said in a report.

BBC: Singapore: Economic slowdown opens foreign labour debate