SINGAPORE – What would you do if you were laid off unexpectedly?

For Mr Uzen Tan, 30, the answer was becoming a Grab driver with a placard tied to the back of his seat rest. It reads “I got retrenched!”, so that every ride can be a “networking opportunity”.

“I’ve probably sent out over 300 applications and have not found a suitable role yet,” says the former tech worker. He was laid off from his previous role as a marketing specialist at Google in April.

More than 20 passengers have since scanned the QR code on his placard to access his resume. Some even offered personal advice. And he has been documenting his journey on TikTok.

Mr Tan became a private-hire driver to pay the bills and help his wife, a human resources manager, take care of their 18-month-old daughter.

“I lie to myself that I am doing okay,” he says, adding that the uncertainty of what comes next and having to put up a cheerful front mean daily stress and frequent eczema flare-ups.

Singapore has one of the world’s lowest unemployment rates, which stood at 2 per cent in 2024. But global unrest, economic uncertainty and tech-driven upheaval have meant layoffs, retrenchments and involuntary unemployment are becoming a reality for many.

The long-term unemployment rate – defined as someone who has been unemployed for 25 weeks or more – has risen to 0.9 per cent in March from 0.8 per cent in March 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Manpower.

The unemployment rate is highest among those aged under 30. According to the 2024 graduate employment survey, conducted six months after the completion of final examinations, 12.9 per cent of graduates of autonomous universities say they are unemployed.

Meanwhile, 25.2 per cent of graduates of private education institutions reported being unemployed. A growing proportion of university graduates are also now engaged in freelance or part-time work, compared with previous years.