Investigating precarity: experiences of low-income precarious young workers in Singapore

Abstract

Precarity is a characteristic of modern-day work. The issue gained traction in academic western literature, which attributed precarious work to neoliberal globalisation as workers undertook more risks. This is especially so for lower-wage workers, whose life circumstances could take a turn for the worse should they lose their jobs or when an unexpected crisis hits. This thesis asserts that it is important to understand precarity not only through workers’ experiences but also through Singapore’s economic, historical and welfare contexts. Singapore’s labour history and economic transformation set the context for understanding individual experiences of precarity through the concept of labour regimes. Using in-depth interviews with young low-wage workers from the NUS study on In-Work Poverty and Challenges of Getting by Among the Young, this thesis documented the experiences of low-wage precarious workers. This was followed by an exploration of workers’ motivations for entering precarious work and the longer-term scarring effects of precarious work. The study’s fieldwork coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected low-wage workers who were both in precarious work and regular employment. The incident exposed the precarious nature of all work. Throughout the thesis, workers were seen as individuals with agency who were navigating the challenging structures of precarious work. The thesis ends with a emphasising the uniqueness of the Singapore case in understanding low wage precarious work and some implications of the study’s findings.