A 73-year-old man who sold ngo hiang (fried spiced meat rolls) and shrimp cakes for over 40 years, attended Marina Bay Sands’ annual job fair on Sunday (9 Mar 2025) with his wife after shutting down his business due to rising rental costs.
Yes, a 73-year-old man is seeking employment.
We do not have an excuse to be lying flat now, do we?
Integrated Resort Offers Over 1,200 Job Positions
Marina Bay Sands, which employs nearly 12,000 staff, is offering more than 1,200 job positions this year, exceeding last year’s 1,000 openings.
The vacancies span over 25 departments, including executive chef, tea master, butler, call center specialist, room attendant, technician, and luxury car driver positions.
At the job fair, reporters from zaobao.sg observed long queues at the food and beverage and room service application areas.
While most applicants were young people, there were also seniors like Mr Hong Xin Rong (name transliterated from Mandarin).
“I’m willing to try any position. Though my physical strength isn’t as good as younger people, I have decades of food and beverage work experience and can handle hard work,” Mr Hong said.
Mr Hong and his wife live in Tiong Bahru. They sold ngo hiang and shrimp cakes at the coffee shop at Block 164 in Redhill for more than 40 years.
He explained that the stall’s rent increased with each change of landlord.
Including utilities, monthly expenses climbed to over $5,000, prompting the elderly couple to recently give up their business and look for more stable work in the hotel industry.
Senior Employment Rate Rising in Singapore
Mr Hong, who doesn’t speak much English, hoped to find a part-time job paying around $1,500 monthly.
However, after interviews, he found the situation less promising than expected.
“The interviewer asked for my email, but I don’t even use a mobile phone. Many positions are full-time with three rotating shifts, which isn’t suitable for someone my age,” he said.
Mr Hong has three married children with their own families to care for.
The elderly couple relies mainly on their previous savings for daily expenses. Though financially stable, having a job means more than just income for him.
“Having work keeps me actively engaged. If I’m idle with nothing to do, I might face a higher risk of dementia,” he explained.
Another senior applicant surnamed Chen (name transliterated from Mandarin), 65, worked as a mechanical engineer in construction and other industries for over 30 years.
Seeing Singapore’s tourism industry flourishing, he wanted to find a job where he could contribute his expertise while training younger workers.
According to the 2024 Labour Force Report, the labor participation rate for Singapore residents aged 65-69 increased from 41.2% in 2014 to 50.5% in 2024.
For those aged 70-74, it rose from 25.7% to 35% during the same period.
A Marina Bay Sands spokesperson told reporters that the company’s USD1.75 billion (~SGD2.33 billion) reinvestment plan is progressing well and is expected to create more job opportunities.
The Jin Ting Wan Cantonese restaurant, opening this year, is recruiting for positions including head chef, tea master, bartender, and cashier.
Most positions at the job fair, except for casino roles, require applicants to be over 16 with no upper age limit.
The Ministry of Manpower will establish a task force on senior employment this year with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation to provide policy recommendations on enhancing productivity and employability of senior employees and promoting suitable jobs and workplaces for seniors.
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