Singapore survey ranks artists as least essential job

A survey published by The Sunday Times in Singapore and conducted by Milieu Insight on 1,000 Singaporeans aged 16 and above ranked artists as the least essential profession. The survey, released on June 14, asked respondents to identify essential and non-essential jobs. Essential roles included doctors, nurses, cleaners, garbage collectors, street vendors, and delivery workers. Non-essential jobs listed were artists, telemarketers, social media managers/PR professionals, business consultants, and HR managers. The infographic sparked controversy online, with critics arguing that labeling jobs as non-essential undermines professionals. Milieu Insight clarified that the survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and defined essential workers as those meeting basic survival needs. Despite artists being deemed non-essential, 57% of respondents said they would not work as cleaners, while 29% would not work as artists, suggesting a preference for non-essential roles.