MS TEO Lay Peng, 39, is a divorcee with two children, aged nine and 14. Last month, she was retrenched from her machine operator job of 16 years, which paid about $1,100 monthly. The family lives in a four-room flat in Sengkang. She is still jobless.

This week, she took a two-day Personal Effectiveness course at the Employment and Employability Institute.

WHAT SHE WANTS

Her most immediate concern is to find another job. Said Ms Teo: 'I am not too concerned about salary, as long as I can take care of my kids.'

She is hoping for training subsidies to help her upgrade her skills. 'I studied only until Primary 6 so my English is not good. I would like to learn English and computer skills.'

She also hopes for transport subsidies for her children, in addition to season passes, to take the pressure off household expenditure, as well as a reduction in utility bills.

Her other wish: for low-income earners, like herself, to be able to rent stalls in wet markets at a lower rate - she can run a small business selling clothes, and spend more time with her children.

WHAT EXPERTS SAY

Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC Inderjit Singh said the most common measure in a recession to address job losses has been to give back some amount of money to Singaporeans, in the form of Utilities-Save, service and conservancy charge rebates, and Central Provident Fund top-ups.

'I expect that this will be the major focus of the Government this year,' he said.

UOB economists expect the unemployment rate to reach its previous peak of 4.8 per cent in 2003. They recommend a jobs centre be set up for displaced workers to receive counselling and retraining to help them look for new employment.

The Workfare scheme, which gives an income boost to lower-wage workers, could also be temporarily extended to cover retrenched workers, said DBS economist Irvin Seah.

This could bring cash-flow relief to the unemployed.

ANG YIYING

This article was first published in The Straits Times on January 17, 2009.