So, you’ve got a bit of time on your hands over the Chinese New Year break. You’d like to make a bit of spare cash, but no, you’d rather not try to do so by gambling with a herd of shouting Chinese aunties and uncles.
Why not get out there and earn some extra cash? Here are some CNY part-time jobs in 2022 you might be able to snag while everyone else is on holiday.
7 Chinese New Year part-time jobs to earn spare cash
| Part-time job | Salary |
| Packer | $9 – $15 per hour |
| Event crew | $12 – $20 per hour |
| Kitchen crew | $12 – $14 per hour |
| Food server/ waiter | $10 – $25 per hour |
| Cashier | $13 per hour |
| Food delivery | $15 per hour |
| Supermarket assistant | $12 per hour |
*Salaries are estimates and may vary depending on your experience.
Packer ($9 to $15 per hour)
If you would describe yourself as skinny and frail, this is probably not the job for you. However, the more robust amongst us can consider working as a packer during the CNY period. There’s a demand for drinks and orange packers, as sales of beverages and Mandarin oranges skyrockets thanks to families hosting and visiting relatives over the Chinese New Year period.
Your main job will involve packing and unpacking the products, but you might also have to do some loading and deliveries weighing 10kg thereabouts.
Some employers prefer that you be available to work all three days over the Chinese New Year period. The length of shifts varies depending on the employer and can be as short as 4 hours a day or as long as 9 hours a day.
Here are two packer CNY part-time jobs that are available now (as of time of writing).
Event crew or promoter ($12 to $20 per hour)
In the lead-up to Chinese New Year, businesses selling festive food and hampers will be marketing their products aggressively. That means many of them will be hiring event helpers or promoters to boost their sales.
As an event helper or promoter, you’ll be stationed at roadshows or retail outlets and will be tasked with promoting Chinese New Year snacks, nuts, hampers or Mandarin oranges. You’ll have to interact with customers, answer their queries and might also have some stock-taking duties at the end of the day.
Expect rather long shifts between 6 to 9 hours per day. You’ll also be expected to work retail hours, which means your day might start and end later than the average office worker’s, with some shifts stretching on till 10 or 11pm.
You’ll need to be available from mid January to early February, typically up to the eve of Chinese New Year. While some employers allocate shifts according to availability, others will require you to be available for blocks of 1 to 4 weeks at a time.
Here’s an event retail CNY part-time job that’s still hiring via WhatsApp.
Kitchen crew ($12 to $24 per hour)
On the 31st January this year, ie. the day before the first day of the Chinese New Year, families all over Singapore will book up Chinese restaurants and hotel banquet halls for their reunion dinners. And of course, the venues will need extra kitchen crew to peel the potatoes, wash dishes, and mop the kitchen floors.
If you love McDonald’s, here’s your chance to step into the kitchen. This part-time kitchen crew stint pays the standard rate, much like other part-time gigs. Your duties will span back end kitchen food preparation to front end customer service – wherever you’re needed, it seems.
Food server/ waiter ($10 to $25 per hour)
During the Chinese New Year period, most businesses in Singapore close for two or three days. But you can bet that many of your favourite restaurants will still be open. And they might even hire you beyond the CNY period (Ding Tai Fung). If you’re only keen on working during the festive period, go for this part-time role by Jumbo seafood or Soup Restaurant’s.
Your duties will involve taking and serving orders. You’ll have to familiarise yourself with the outlet’s way of dispatching orders, such as where to get the food and drink items behind the counter and whom to communicate with when you need something. Fast food environments are very fast-paced, and you’ll probably need to go through some training before your job starts.
One advantage is that there’s a high chance you might be paid more than the usual wage for working over the CNY period.
Cashier ($13 per hour)
Chinese New Year means brisk business for supermarkets, as Chinese Singaporeans make a last minute dash for groceries and festive snacks.
With many of their usual Chinese staff away during the festive period, supermarts are looking to hire. Here’s a part-timer cashier role at Giant.
Shifts tend to be on the long side, at around 8 to 9 hours. One drawback is that you might have to work odd hours or the graveyard shift, since these supermarts are open for longer hours over CNY. Transportation is usually provided if you knock off after public transport ends.
Food delivery ($15 per hour)
In the week before Chinese New Year, many Chinese Singaporeans will be scrambling to clean their homes, assembling new furniture, and preparing food. Guess what they won’t be doing? Cooking.
In these busy times, many families may resort to food delivery apps. If you don’t mind taking walks around your neighbourhood or cycling around your district, try signing up to be a food delivery cyclist or walker with foodpanda, Grabfood, or deliveroo.
Most of these food delivery riders or walkers have reported raking in $15 per hour on an average day. Well, that’s not too bad if you’re walking about and listening to music.
Supermarket assistant ($12 per hour)
Thanks to the influx of shoppers trying to get their groceries done last minute, supermarkets will need lots of retail assistants to stock up their shelves. They’ll also need people to sit at the entrance to check that everyone has checked in to their stores via Trace Together. Now, if you don’t mind sitting at that TT table, try this supermart contact tracing part-time role.
Looking for other money saving tips this Chinese New Year?
Try earning cashback from these 3 cashback credit cards
- Cash Back on Eligible Spend
- 1.6%
- Min. Spend per month
- S$0
- Cash Back Cap per month
- Unlimited
[MoneySmart x Ascott Travel Like A Millionaire Lucky Draw]
Get S$350 Cash or 5,040 SmartPoints in as fast as 5 weeks when you meet the spend criteria. T&Cs apply. PLUS stand a chance to win up to $6,500 worth of Staycay, Flights and Rewards! T&Cs apply.
PLUS: Stand to win 50,000 SmartPoints in Rollin’ Rewards!
Enrol in our Rollin’ Rewards campaign for FREE and stand a chance to win 50,000 SmartPoints! That’s enough to redeem ANY item from our Rewards Store, such as a Sony BRAVIA 3 85-Inch 4K Ultra HD Google TV (worth S$5,799) + an Apple iPhone 16 Plus 128GB (worth S$1,399).
 (1).png)
- on up to $5,000 spend in the first 6 months for new Card Members.
- 3.0% Cashback
- all subsequent eligible purchases
- 1.5% Cashback
- Cash Back Cap
- Unlimited
- Cash Back
- Up to 10%
- Cash Back Cap per month
- S$100
- Min. Spend per month on Total Purchases
- S$800
Have you ever worked in a part-time job during CNY? Share your experiences in the comments!
Header image credit: linkway88 via Flickr
Related Articles
Freelance Jobs Singapore – 8 Jobs Where You Can Set Your Own Schedule
High-Pay Part-Time Jobs in Singapore – 5 Gigs for a Decent Side Income
10 Work From Home Jobs in Singapore That Are Ideal For Stay-at-Home Mums (SAHMs)