“BRB, I Need a Break from Work”: Why More Singaporeans Are Taking Time Out

Is your job still your whole identity? Perhaps, at least, not for the 52.8% of Singaporeans who’ve taken a career break. A survey done in May 2024 reveals that while work still matters, many Singaporeans are starting to ask: how much of my life should work really take up? The takeaway is that life outside the office matters more to most.

We asked Singaporeans: What Matters Most in a Career?

From fresh grads to seasoned professionals, we asked the HappyDot community what “Career Health” means to them. The top answers?
Work-life balance, job stability, and feeling satisfied in what they do.
But how do career priorities shift as we grow older—or move into new phases of our working lives? The answers might surprise you.