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Why underemployment deserves attention, even if it is voluntary

Being underemployed by choice still carries consequences, including skills atrophy

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    • Different worker groups face these underemployment risks in different ways. Skills mismatches hit hardest among workers with 16 to 25 years of work experience.
    • Different worker groups face these underemployment risks in different ways. Skills mismatches hit hardest among workers with 16 to 25 years of work experience. PHOTO: BT FILE

    Patrick Tay

    Published Thu, May 14, 2026 · 07:00 AM

    A DEGREE in Singapore was considered a passport to the middle class. That is a hard truth for a small country that has staked so much on human capital.

    Through decades of investment in education and skills, such as SkillsFuture and career conversion programmes, the message to workers has always been to keep learning and upskilling, stay relevant, and invest in themselves.

    Many did exactly that. In fact, more than 64 per cent of the resident workforce in 2025 hold tertiary qualifications, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). They earned degrees, accumulated credentials and built skills over years of hard work.

    SingaporeEmploymentLabour MarketJobs and skills

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