GE2025: Aspirations of Singapore’s Gen-Z, Millennials & Gen-X Workforce

The lead-up to Singapore’s General Election (GE) 2025 is underway. The diverse workforce—Gen-Z, Millennials, and Gen-X—has high hopes for the future.

Key issues include rising living costs, job market uncertainties, climate change, and affordable housing. Voters are ready to make their voices heard.

Political parties are stepping up.

• The People’s Action Party (PAP) promises stability, the Workers’ Party (WP) focuses on fairness,
• The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) seeks pragmatic changes, and
• The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) offers a bold vision.
• Red Dot United (RDU) brings fresh ideas.

As the election approaches, we’ll examine how these policies affect you. Get ready, Singapore—your vote matters!

People’s Action Party (PAP): Continuity Meets Innovation

Economic Growth and Career Opportunities

• Proposals: Support for PMETs, nurturing local corporate leaders, adopting AI, and exploring clean energy.
• Benefits for Workers: Gen-Z and Millennials, who prioritise career growth and innovation, stand to benefit from investments in AI and clean energy. SME support initiatives like tax rebates and productivity upgrades can create more opportunities for entrepreneurs.
• Challenges: While ambitious, these measures may take time to yield tangible results, leaving workers concerned about immediate job security and wage stagnation.

Education and Social Mobility

• Proposals: Replace streaming with subject-based banding, revamp PSLE scoring, and expand SPED schools.
• Benefits for Workers: Parents from all generations appreciate efforts to reduce academic stress on children and broaden definitions of success. Customised education and early interventions can help disadvantaged students succeed.
• Challenges: Critics argue that systemic reforms require robust implementation, which could be delayed or uneven across schools.

Healthcare and Housing

• Proposals: Add 13,600 hospital beds, launch preventive health initiatives (Healthier SG), and build 50,000 new HDB flats over three years.
• Benefits for Workers: Seniors and caregivers will welcome expanded healthcare infrastructure and CPF enhancements. Younger workers may find relief in shorter BTO wait times and net-zero sustainability goals.
• Challenges: Rising property prices remain a concern despite increased supply, potentially pricing out lower-income families.

Workers’ Party (WP): Advocating Fairness and Flexibility

Anti-Discrimination and Employment Rights

• Proposals: Strengthen the Workplace Fairness Act, mandate flexible work arrangements (FWAs), and advocate shared parental leave.
• Benefits for Workers: WP’s emphasis on anti-discrimination appeals to Gen-X workers facing ageism and Millennials seeking work-life balance. Shared parental leave supports dual-income households.
• Challenges: Mandatory FWAs may increase operational complexity for small businesses, potentially affecting profitability.

Housing and Social Justice

• Proposals: Expand public rental schemes, introduce PPHS vouchers, and shorten BTO wait times.
• Benefits for Workers: Lower-income families and young adults struggling with housing affordability will appreciate these measures. Shorter wait times resonate with Gen-Z and Millennials eager to settle down.
• Challenges: Ensuring adequate funding for expanded rental schemes without straining public finances remains a hurdle.

Skills Development

• Proposals: Build on SkillsFuture initiatives and unemployment insurance.
• Benefits for Workers: Reskilling programs empower mid-career professionals (Gen-X) and fresh graduates (Gen-Z). Unemployment insurance provides a safety net during economic downturns.
• Challenges: Funding such extensive programmes requires careful fiscal planning to avoid budget deficits.

Progress Singapore Party (PSP): Addressing Cost-of-Living Pressures

Taxation and Essential Goods

• Proposals: Reduce GST to 7%, exempt basic essentials, and defer HDB land-cost payments until resale.
• Benefits for Workers: Direct cost savings on daily necessities appeal to all generations, especially lower-income households. Deferred land costs make homeownership more accessible for Millennials and Gen-Z.
• Challenges: Rolling back GST could reduce government revenue, impacting long-term spending on public services.

Healthcare and Family Support

• Proposals: Government-paid MediShield Life premiums and $3,000 “HealthierMother” cash gifts per birth.
• Benefits for Workers: These measures alleviate financial burdens on young parents and encourage higher fertility rates, which is a priority for addressing Singapore’s ageing population.
• Challenges: Universal coverage increases fiscal pressure, requiring efficient resource allocation.

Hawker Culture Preservation

• Proposals: Fix hawker stall rents and centralize management under a government agency.
• Benefits for Workers: Affordable hawker food ensures food security for low-income families while preserving cultural heritage cherished by older generations.
• Challenges: Centralizing hawkers might disrupt existing ecosystems, requiring phased implementation.

Singapore Democratic Party (SDP): Radical Reforms for Equity

Minimum Wage and Retrenchment Insurance

• Proposals: Legislate a national minimum wage and introduce retrenchment insurance via CPF contributions.
• Benefits for Workers: A minimum wage protects low-income earners (Gen-X), while retrenchment insurance offers peace of mind amid economic uncertainty.
• Challenges: Businesses worry about increased labour costs, potentially leading to reduced hiring or outsourcing.

Universal Healthcare

• Proposals: Single-payer universal health insurance and free maternal/paediatric care.
• Benefits for Workers: Families benefit from comprehensive coverage, reducing out-of-pocket expenses. Free maternal care encourages parenthood among younger workers.
• Challenges: Transitioning to a single-payer system requires significant restructuring and funding, posing short-term logistical hurdles.

Affordable Housing

• Proposals: Introduce Non-Open-Market (NOM) HDB flats at fixed low prices and expand rental support.
• Benefits for Workers: NOM flats provide affordable options for first-time buyers, while rental support aids lower-income families.
• Challenges: Ensuring a sufficient supply and managing demand for NOM units is critical to avoid shortages.

Red Dot United (RDU): A New Social Contract

Well-Being Economy

• Proposals: Shift focus from GDP to well-being metrics, enforce fair wages, and curb late payments for SMEs.
• Benefits for Workers: This holistic approach addresses the quality of life for all generations, particularly Gen-Z and Millennials concerned with meaningful work and mental health.
• Challenges: Measuring well-being instead of GDP requires robust data collection and societal buy-in.

Citizens’ Dividend

• Proposals: Provide unconditional cash transfers starting with vulnerable groups.
• Benefits for Workers: Cash handouts offer immediate relief for lower-income households and foster social cohesion.
• Challenges: Sustaining this programme long-term demands careful fiscal management to prevent inflationary pressures.

Comprehensive Housing Reset

• Proposals: Manage HDB price growth, expand public rentals, and restrict resale purchases by new citizens/PRs.
• Benefits for Workers: Younger workers gain access to affordable homes, while restrictions ensure equitable distribution.
• Challenges: Balancing affordability with maintaining HDB values poses a delicate challenge.

Civil Freedom

• Proposals: Enact the Freedom of Information Act and strengthen judicial oversight.
• Benefits for Workers: Transparency and accountability resonate with Gen-Z and Millennials, advocating for governance reform.
• Challenges: Resistance from entrenched interests could slow progress toward greater openness.

Comparative Analysis: Which Manifesto Resonates Most?

Bridging Generational Gaps

The manifestos of GE2025 reflect diverse approaches to addressing the aspirations of Singapore’s workforce.

While the PAP emphasises continuity and innovation, the WP champions fairness and flexibility. The PSP focuses on cost-of-living relief, the SDP advocates radical reforms, and the RDU envisions a transformative social contract.

Each generation has distinct priorities, but common themes emerge: affordability, accessibility, and equity. Voters must weigh these proposals carefully to determine which vision best aligns with their aspirations for Singapore’s future.