Hypothetically speaking, what would Singapore be like if it was fully manned by Singaporeans and Singaporeans only?

Let’s say every job in Singapore, from construction to healthcare to tech, was exclusively filled by Singaporeans, with no reliance on foreign labor or talent. What do you think the impact would be on the economy, lifestyle, and society?

Would the wealth gap narrow or widen? On one hand, low-skilled jobs would likely need to offer higher wages, but would these positions be attractive enough for Singaporeans to fill? Could this create a new imbalance, where the educated and skilled elite benefit while the lower-income group struggles with fewer available workers?

How would this affect MNCs in Singapore? A lot of them rely on global talent pools. If they can’t hire foreign talent freely, would they even stay in Singapore? Or would we see a mass relocation of companies to more talent-accessible countries, leading to slower economic growth?

And what about the gig economy? With many full-time jobs opening up to Singaporeans that were previously filled by foreign workers, would fewer people turn to gig work like food delivery, ride-hailing, and freelancing? Or would we see a surge in gig workers as Singaporeans seek more flexible employment options, potentially reshaping the entire gig economy?

Then there’s the CECA debate—where many Singaporeans feel that foreign professionals, especially from India, d. Would this hypothetical "Singaporeans-only" workforce calm those tensions or create a whole new set of issues, like labour shortages, inflated wages, and higher costs of living?

Would Singapore, as a global financial hub, stagnate or thrive in this scenario? Could we remain competitive without the diversity of foreign talent, or would Singapore’s role in the global economy diminish?

Curious to hear everyone's thoughts on how this could shape the future of Singapore.

TL;DR: If Singapore were fully manned by Singaporeans, could we handle the labor needs of the economy, or would rising wages, shrinking gig sectors, and foreign companies relocating lead to economic decline? What would happen to the wealth gap and our global standing?

edit: rewrote some stuff about the gig economy, addressed it wrongly