Forum: Help Singapore’s youth defy ‘quiet quitting’ trend
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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has cautioned against the growing trend of “quiet quitting”, echoing concerns seen elsewhere – from China’s tang ping and Japan’s hikikomori to Europe and America’s “downshifting” movements.
Gen Z across the globe is grappling with a sense of disillusionment. Having come of age amid an uncertain and volatile world, a global generational identity rooted in escapism has taken shape.
In Singapore, this generation is faced with concerns such as the rising cost of living and inflation. How, then, do we ensure that the dreams of our youth are not constrained by the limitations of a dismal reality?
The starting point is true job security. Work delivers validation and cultivates a stake in society. But as work is increasingly being replaced by AI, dependable jobs seem to be an elusive dream. We should create worker-centric safeguards that render permanent employment feasible.
This begins with youth-to-work bridges – companies co-developing “degree/diploma-to-job” pathways with educational institutions that integrate capstone projects, paid rotations, and conditional offers. Apprenticeship schemes, backed by government wage co-funding and guaranteed placement upon completion, can turn education into sustainable employment outcomes.
As Singapore becomes a super-aged society, the expanding care and health economy can integrate programmes such as HealthierSG with new roles in upstream preventative care, offering significant room for stable jobs.
Singapore’s Gen Z also aspires to find purpose and meaning in careers. This may be achieved through incorporating social value clauses within public procurement – such as mandating ministries and statutory boards to score tenders on “social value” alongside price and quality. Impact apprenticeships can be created, embedding Gen Z workers in pathways that champion meaningful causes.
Third, Singapore’s Gen Z members seek to live life on their own terms. We must broaden our conceptions of success beyond professional, managerial, executive or technical roles to embrace other forms of livelihoods as legitimate careers. Schools and institutes of higher learning can signal this shift by giving more priority to portfolios in arts, caregiving, and community organisation in admissions and scholarships.
Singapore cannot afford to overlook the needs of its Gen Z; if unmet, they risk crystallising into disillusionment and withdrawal – from the workplace, from civic life, and ultimately from the nation’s future.
Ng Shu En Lydia
