There is a recent article on the Straits Times profiling some of the more senior PMETs who earned quite a high salary, unable to find a matching job and have to step down the jobs they are looking for. You can read it here. A head of Asia sales in an European bank earning $25,000/m will have to step down to a $3,000/m commissioned based property agent job. A former general manager in an oil and gas  company earning $15,000/m will have to step down to a taxi driver pay. Some how I felt that the Straits Times like to highlight these bombastic examples. For those who started working in the last 5 years, they should see the newspapers in 1997 to 2002. This, and the TV show this every other day. It really makes the morale low for everyone. Come to think of it, its been 12 to 13 ......