Singapore’s young workers cling to side hustles to survive the AI age: ‘it’s exhausting’

Nearly one-third of Singapore's workers say they need a side hustle to supplement their full-time income amid rising living costs and anxiety over AI's impact on white-collar jobs, according to a report. Adele Lee, 32, earns about S$500 monthly selling second-hand clothes on TikTok livestreams to cover insurance and pet expenses, calling it a 'safety net' as the city-state's economy, which grew 5.7% in Q2, faces transformation by artificial intelligence.

Advertisement Singapore’s young workers cling to side hustles to survive the AI age: ‘it’s exhausting’ Almost one-third of the city state’s workers say they need to combine a full-time job with another source of income 3-MIN READ3-MIN By day, Adele Lee juggles schedules and administrative work as a personal assistant to a senior director at a financial advisory firm. Three evenings a week, the 32-year-old logs back on, this time to sell second-hand clothes through TikTok https://www.scmp.com/topics/tiktok?module=inline&pgtype=article livestreams, fielding questions from viewers and packing orders herself after the broadcast ends.The side hustle brings in about S$500 US$390 a month, supplementing her monthly salary of almost S$4,000. The extra cash helps pay for her insurance premiums and dog’s expenses. “It feels good to have money coming in so I don’t have to worry about ‘Oh, I need to pay my bills’,” Lee said. It’s a “safety net” as living costs rise. While Singapore https://www.scmp.com/topics/singapore?module=inline&pgtype=article ’s economy has remained resilient – gross domestic product grew 5.7 per cent in the second quarter and Thursday’s June inflation print was weaker than forecast – strong headline indicators have done little to dispel anxiety among its young workers.The city state’s economy is largely centred around exactly the kind of employment artificial intelligence https://www.scmp.com/topics/artificial-intelligence?module=inline&pgtype=article is beginning to transform. With such a heavy reliance on finance, wealth and other white-collar jobs, Singaporeans entering the workforce increasingly wonder what the embrace of AI means for them. Families’ strong historic emphasis on academic achievement and professional credentials is only heightening that pressure.Advertisement Select Voice Select Speed 1.00x