Economic Strategy Review: What makes a ‘good job’ today – and why this is harder to create

[SINGAPORE] Good jobs are still defined by pay, stability and progression, but creating such roles – and making them accessible – has become increasingly difficult, labour observers say.

The issue has come into sharper focus after the Economic Strategy Review (ESR) committee warned on Friday (Jan 30) that economic growth no longer automatically translates into job creation, prompting a rethink of what constitutes a “good job”, including in skilled and technical roles.

Associate Professor Walter Theseira, a labour economist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), said the core ingredients of a good job – decent pay, stability and progression – have not fundamentally changed, even as younger workers are often portrayed as seeking something different such as greater flexibility or a stronger sense of purpose.