‘Where’s the urgency when it comes to making sure ordinary citizens can actually keep their jobs?’ netizen asks after friend in tech gets laid off over the phone

SINGAPORE: Layoffs have been repeatedly in the news headlines this year; however, it hits differently when it comes closer to home.

A Singaporean online user was prompted to ask where the urgency is when it comes to making sure ordinary citizens can actually keep their jobs, after his software engineer friend — whom he described as someone who “studied hard, got a good degree, built up his portfolio, landed internships, spent years gaining experience, and constantly tried to keep himself relevant” — was laid off over the phone last week.

Explaining what happened, he wrote on r/SingaporeRaw: “Every other month, he’d be talking about some new framework or certification he was learning because everyone says that’s what you have to do to survive in tech. Then one meeting later, it was over. Just one call, one 15-minute call.”

He added that while the usual reaction to layoffs is to “just find another job,” the reality looks very different on the ground.

Every job opening, he said, now draws hundreds of applicants, with companies becoming more selective, AI reshaping hiring needs, and experienced workers increasingly competing with fresh graduates for the same positions.

“It’s easy to say ‘upskill’ when you’re not the one wondering how long your savings will last,” he said, adding that what frustrates him the most is the disconnect between what ordinary Singaporeans are worried about and what seems to dominate the national conversation.

“Every other headline seems to be about AI ambitions, AI transformation, AI investments, and AI hub or whatever. I’m not saying those things aren’t important, but where is the equivalent urgency when it comes to making sure ordinary citizens can actually keep their jobs and build stable careers?”

“Sometimes it feels like we’re so focused on attracting investment and positioning Singapore for the future that we’ve forgotten the people who are supposed to benefit from that future in the first place,” he added.

He noted that his friend isn’t even asking for a guaranteed job, just a fair opportunity after following the formula for a “secure” life in the Little Red Dot: study hard, work hard, keep learning, stay competitive.

“Watching him go through this has honestly made me anxious about my own future. If someone like him can suddenly find himself unemployed despite doing everything ‘right’, what confidence are the rest of us supposed to have?” he said.

Clarifying that he isn’t fearmongering or being anti-business, he added, “I want Singapore to succeed. I want us to embrace new technology and remain competitive. I just wish there was an equally visible focus on ensuring that ordinary Singaporeans don’t feel like they’re increasingly disposable in the process.”

Many commenters shared the same fears and dilemmas, with some focused more on preparing or warning others to prepare for the worse.

One commenter said, “The fear is understandable, a lot of people currently are in this state with all the disruptions, even us that sit and hear behind closed doors. Hunker down, find a new job/scope of work or prepare to pivot. The night has just begun, and it is going to be dark for some time.”

Another commenter said, “The AI hype isn’t the same as previous dot.com booms. In the two previous dot.com booms, new jobs were created, many, many new jobs, whether it is in e-commerce and web in the early 2000s or social media and digital marketing in the 2010s…Whether AI can actually replace genuine human talent, I am tired of arguing about. I have seen enough. You guys just keep waiting, and you will see.”

A third added, “Friends who used to preach constantly about skill upgrades no longer do that.”

On Monday (Jun 15), the Ministry of Manpower released the first-quarter labour market report for the year, noting that the “slight increase” in retrenchments — from 3,690, or 1.5 per 1,000 employees, in Q4 2025 to 3,830, or 1.6 per 1,000 employees, in Q1 2026 — was driven largely by firm restructuring or reorganisation.

MOM said, “The increase in retrenchments was mainly in external-oriented sectors such as manufacturing, financial services and professional services,” and retrenchments remain “within non-recessionary norms.”

Earlier this year, the ministry also said that there is no indication of significant job displacement due to AI in the city-state, “at this point,” adding that it is “augmenting but not replacing” jobs.

On the other hand, it seems some have seen jobs being created because of the new technology despite layoffs.

Earlier this month, a Singaporean shared that a startup he is working at introduced a new role called AI Agent Manager (AAM).

Last week, Meta also launched the America’s Workforce Academy (AWA), a funded skilled trades programme offering free training and guaranteed jobs in fields such as electrical work, mechanical systems and plumbing to support the build-out of its AI data centres. /TISG

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