Singapore's total employment expanded by 113,300 in 2005, posting the highest annual job creation in the past eight years, according to the figures released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Wednesday.

"The strong employment creation last year brought the total number employed to a new record high of 2,319,900 persons as at December 2005," MOM said in a report.

Some 73,900 workers found jobs in the services sector last year, comprising nearly two thirds of the year's employment growth, while the employment gains for the manufacturing and construction sectors were 29,500 and 8,700 respectively.

Of the total employment created last year, 63,500 went to local people and 49,800 were foreign workers.

The seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate dropped sharply to 2.5 percent in December last year from 3.3 percent recorded three months earlier. An estimated 64,200 residents stayed unemployed at the end of last year.

Source: Xinhua