By Michelle Tay

HAVING a rice bowl - and being able to eat from it - matters most to Singaporeans.

A new survey has found that even before Singapore announced in October that it was in a technical recession, Singaporeans' greatest fears were unemployment and insufficient food.

Synovate, a global market research company, surveyed the consumer attitudes of 7,400 respondents in 10 economies between August and November.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.