Employers underestimate salary demands by 30%

Indeed report shows a structural disconnect in how Singaporean firms value compensation.

Nearly six in ten Singaporean workers—or 59%—rank salary, job security, and work-life balance as their top priorities when evaluating a job, according to Indeed’s Work at 60 Report.

Employers, in contrast, undervalue these drivers at just 29% for pay/stability and 27% for balance—a 30-percentage-point disconnect.

Entry-level roles are expected to face the greatest disruption over the next decade, with 46% of workers and 44% of employers identifying them as the most affected.

Employers also report difficulty filling positions, with 30% citing a lack of skilled candidates and 52% identifying Gen Zs as the hardest generation to attract or retain.

Entry-level roles are particularly vulnerable to automation and redesign, yet younger workers are adapting by building hybrid skillsets that combine digital fluency with human strengths.

The survey highlights a cultural shift in how stability is defined. Whilst salary, job security, and work-life balance remain dominant, employees increasingly achieve these through investment in high-demand skills and readiness for change.

A majority of employees—58%—support skills-first hiring over traditional degree pathways, whilst 57% emphasise workplace well-being and employee-centred cultures.

Hiring structures, however, remain anchored to rigid job titles, degree filters, and narrow definitions of experience, a misalignment that Saumitra Chand, Career Expert at Indeed, noted.