Azizul Kamal has spent a decade building his legal career in Singapore, but half of the time, he was hopping from one contract role to another in the industry.

“Every company seems to only want to hire contractors, because we’re cheaper for balance books. It’s very hard to find a full-time role,” the 38-year-old Singaporean said.

Azizul did not secure a third extension as a lawyer at his previous firm, after it found a permanent replacement based in Kuala Lumpur, he said. With bills to pay, he has made a career pivot and now works as a physical trainer while dabbling in live streaming on the side.

“I don’t think I got any less hungry. I moved from one contract role to another, took care of my résumé by choosing roles carefully, but still ended up in a position where I couldn’t find a job,” he said.

Azizul’s experience comes amid an ongoing debate in Singapore on the drive of local workers, spurred by a recruiter who said on a podcast that employees in the city state were less “hungry” than their counterparts in neighbouring countries.

Citing this as a reason, legal recruiter Lee Shulin said in the viral podcast with local broadcaster CNA released on April 30 that companies she worked with were letting go of Singaporeans in favour of workers from Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Lee also said Gen Zs were unable to hold a conversation and “can’t even explain what they do to a stranger”. “For young employees, you need to be a little bit more paranoid about what the future holds,” she added.