Over half of Gen Zs, millennials happy with pay: Survey

Work-life balance almost as important to younger workers as salaries

- Prisca Ang

Ms Lee Shulin has seen her pay fluctuate wildly over the years as she switched jobs in search of a career she could find satisfaction and excel in.

In her first job 14 years ago as a senior associate in a big law firm, she made an enviable $8,500 a month. That was cut by nearly half when she left the firm for the public sector in 2010, and it dipped even further when she switched to the recruitment industry, where her income depended a lot on commissions.

"I just wanted to find something I could excel in. At first, my primary motivation was job satisfaction," said Ms Lee, 41. Reality set in when she got married and the need to provide for her son began to loom large.

So, pay was a factor, but not the only one, when she started legal recruitment firm Aslant Legal in 2016 while her elder son was just one month old. She felt that her prospects could be improved by having her own business, after six years of working at different recruitment agencies.

She also wanted to escape a toxic work environment with a heavy drinking culture. "I felt the only way to create a healthier culture was to start my own firm," Ms Lee said.

"Now, with Aslant Legal, I have the freedom to build a supportive and flexible work environment for everyone." Pay is a key consideration for millennials like Ms Lee - as well as Generation Z but work-life balance and flexibility are almost as important as salaries.

This was one of the findings from a survey of 1,000 young people, commissioned by The Straits Times and carried out in May by market research firm Kantar.

Younger workers were polled on their views towards their salaries and related aspects of employment, such as work-life balance and having a career that lines up with their passion.

People were surveyed across three groups: Gen Zs aged 18 to 27, younger millennials aged 28 to 34, and older millennials aged 35 to 43.