Daily Lessons from Life 24 October 2009

"Sat, Oct 24, 2009 The Straits Times - Crossing 50: Worries of a working heartlander."

A short headline with a big punch! Is living longer a blessing or a curse for Singaporeans of average mean and qualification? The 'normal' Singaporean if you like?

I have been reading a lot of discouraging news about able, willing and qualified Singaporeans who had passed 50-year old unable to find a suitable and reasonably paid job for themselves lately. The recent news about 2 of the IRs (integrated resorts with casinos) offering up to 90k-100k jobs (since one of them, the Resort World at Sentosa, publicized the jobs on offer to be 45k!) and yet some real people who had applied and even being interviewed did not get any offer. The common thread is all are 'supposedly qualified' but over-50-year-old!

Lessons for me are:

1. it is a curse if you live in an urban area, past 50-year-old, and could not find a job that provide a steady income, especially when that society does not believe in 'social unemployment benefits' and other social cares UNLESS you are childless and totally broke! If you have children, the government will ask your children to take care of you first until they bring themselves to bankruptcy before the social safety net kick in! Never mind your children may have to take care of their own children and family!;

2. this is a big issue with easy solution in sight as the government tried to find ways and means to create jobs for these 'healthy and able oldies'! The question becomes how to get them the job they had retrained for, even if the employers are willing to take them on? Do we go back to the 'big free market' theory or a bit of protectionism here? If we go for the free market theory, then there is NO REASON to keep these oldies employed as Singapore can get tons of younger and hungrier FWs to do these jobs at lower pay and with tolerable (it depends on the employers and the customers' acceptance) quality of services/work. i.e. cheaper price/performance!! So, it is something the government need to contemplate and include in their National Budget!! If they do not, the oldies will be in deep troubles!;

3. much as we aspired to be the vibrant global city, Singaporeans need to be a comfortable position within this city. If the oldies, who are the majority of the population, CANNOT even earn a decent income to support himself/herself and assuming their children take care of their own family and life, what is the point of achieving the vision of being a Vibrant Global City? It is not about being selfish. It is about having CLEAR Objectives! Why create a vibrant global city where you are just a fringe? side show? irritant? a necessary evil?

For me, the solution to the increasing oldies who are of average means are: develop their mindset to accept that 'things are not what they used to be'. And that 'as long as they can find a job and earn an income, they should just do it without 2nd thought. Focus on doing that well and live simply. Forget about the luxurious and dare-to-dream vision. Just be happy and live on!!