Are u sure 2.5k is a livable wage? SME bosses have a savior complex and are super entitled. They complain that employees not hardworking etc, what they need to realize is that the hardworking employees are the ambitious ones, and there is 0 way anyone with ambition wants to work in an SME. Hence by definition, the way SMEs price their salary will specifically attract only the lazier ones.

Before feeling entitled to some 8am to 9pm labour for 2.5k, ask yourself why would anyone choose an SME with **** conditions over MNC with 9am to 6pm hours for 4k. Then SMEs will realise they only get the "leftover people".

The one law of capitalism is that u get what u pay for. Doesn't matter if its an item or labour, pay cheap, expect to get low quality labour.

It just shows that the younger generation are not hungry enough. Did you know that so many young aspirational jobseekers from all over the world would be willing to settle for 2.5K job? They will even be willing to work on weekends to create success for the company. Bosses appreciate and reward them accordingly. What about our local youth? Looking for a 4K job and only willing to work from 9 to 6? Maybe you should start your own business and see how you feel when you meet this kind of jobseekers. Points back to the 7 interviewees story. Read up and learn from what the entrepreneur shared about it.

$2.5K is low. Just less than a year ago, fresh grads are getting $3.5k. I dont see how a few months of experience can justify the difference of $1k salary. They are probably going to get the same job done at the same level...
But aside to the fresh grad asking this qn, $2.5k is better than no job. For fresh grads, experience is very important. Therefore, dont just go for any job. Choose a job that you see yourself in the long term, choose a job with many transferable skills. Good luck!

idiots still don't realise this is the post-covid labour market.

If covid can bring future starting pay to 2K plus, will it keep cost of living low and increase purchasing power for those not affected? Means cheaper new cars and condo, since less price competition as incoming batches will be earning substantially lower salary?

precisely, and offering 2.5k is a sign the company will collapse during covid.

There are really really good SMEs out there that I’m willing to work for free like Omnistream, Otto Solutions or family offices in the AM field.

But honestly most of the SMEs and their technology illiterate upper management indeed have the backdated mindset of “seniority precedes skill” mindset. I once did clerical work for a small SME that deals with import and export of industrial wearables on a part-time basis.

All the manual data entry could honestly be streamlined. I once impressed the old aunties when I used NumPy to draw out financial statement data from EDGAR and performed visualizations with it.

Flexing aside, early this year (pre-COVID) the boss offered me a pathetic starting salary if I were to convert. I rejected it and was for about 4 months till I got into a graduate scheme with InfoSys. Not the best out there but it still beats working at that SME.

Point is.... to the freshers out there, know your skills and technical competencies, never shortchange yourself.

Please. They only offer 2.5k SGUNITEDshit to behkans.

The problem is, lousy grads acting like they deserve a decent grad's paycheck.

ST just reported the following. Is situation really that bad? Honestly none of the people I know are affected by Covid-19, mostly just staying at home rather than going to office and many are enjoying the extra time saved!

The number of employees placed on shorter work weeks or temporary layoffs rose to an unprecedented high of 81,720 in the second quarter, as firms battled the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Locals - that is, Singaporeans and permanent residents - formed the bulk of the 42,190 employees on short work weeks, while foreigners were the majority of the 43,720 on temporary layoffs.

The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for Singaporeans rose steadily over the quarter and reached 4.3 per cent in July, up from 4 per cent in June and 3.5 per cent in March.

MOM said it started collecting unemployment data monthly since April, and will release the figures monthly from here on, instead of quarterly, in an effort to better inform policy decisions.

The unemployment rate for locals rose to 4.1 per cent in July, up from 3.8 per cent in June and 3.3 per cent in March, while the overall unemployment rate - for locals and foreigners combined - rose to 3 per cent in July, up from 2.8 per cent in June and 2.4 per cent in March.