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Don’t leave mid-level jobs behind in Singapore’s AI take-off
The new era is not just about innovation, but also about creating high-quality jobs to continue enabling upward mobility.
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AI is no longer just automating routine tasks, but restructuring professional work, say the writers.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Sahara Sadik and Chia Ying
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At 48, Mrs Rei Teo typifies professionals affected by corporate restructuring. Her bank job was reshaped in 2024, prompting her to leave – never expecting that her experience would count for so little in trying to land another permanent job. Weak hiring sentiment, as banks reconfigure roles with technology, has pushed her into a contract role, the best of limited options.
This push-down effect on professionals is a fault line in Singapore’s labour market identified by the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), Singapore’s lead in an international research programme studying AI adoption patterns across 10 digital hubs from Singapore to Silicon Valley. The Republic’s middle jobs are relatively weak, and hence less able to absorb displaced professionals.
