8 in 10 Singaporeans expect pay hike when switching jobs

Locals expect a 17% increase in pay when changing employers.

Around 83% of Singaporeans expect a salary raise when switching jobs, a figure higher than that of Taiwan (78%) and Japan (80%) and similar to expectations of those in Mainland China, according to a survey by RGF International Recruitment’s Talent in Asia report.

Respondents from Singapore expect at least 17% increase in pay when changing employers, which is the lowest amongst neighbouring countries. Workers in the Philippines expect the highest pay increase when switching jobs at 26%, followed by Vietnam and Taiwan at 23%. Meanwhile, employees in Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand anticipate pay hikes of 20%, 19%, 21%, 22%, 22% and 20%, respectively.

This supports the finding that the top factor for most Singaporeans in evaluating an employment opportunity is ‘fair & market competitive compensation’. This is followed by having ‘top calibre employees’ (13.6%) and ‘career advancement opportunities’ (10.8%) and work-life balance (9.8%).

However, the prospect of higher pay may not be enough to get Singaporeans to move outside the country as the report stated that they are not too keen on working in another country. However, the most popular relocation destinations for working professionals are Indonesia (38%), Thailand (34%), Malaysia (32.5%), Japan (30%), India (29%) and Mainland China (21%).

Meanwhile, 24% of talent across the world, especially those from Indonesia, India and Japan, want to relocate to Singapore for work, which is more so than any other market including Mainland China, Europe and North America.