SINGAPORE: Companies are keeping a tight rein on salary hikes in 2026, even as their turnover levels remain among the highest in South-East Asia, according to a new survey.
Professional services firm Aon found that companies here are budgeting a 4.3% salary increase in 2026 – the same as the actual growth this year.
Conducted from July to September, Aon’s latest salary increase and turnover survey covered over 700 companies and their regional offices across more than 15 industries in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Across sectors, life sciences and medical devices firms in Singapore are expected to offer the largest pay bump at 4.6%.
Rahul Chawla, Aon’s partner and head of talent solutions in South-East Asia, said life sciences as a sector tends to be a “good paymaster”.
These companies also appeal to talents who are driven by purpose, like those who want to contribute to improving lives.
On the other end of the spectrum, the energy sector is budgeting the smallest salary increase at 3.5%, reflecting more cautious sentiment. Regionally, companies in Vietnam are budgeting the highest salary hike at 7.1% in 2026, followed by Indonesia at 5.9% and the Philippines at 5.2%.
Chawla noted that inflation is a big driver for salary hike. In developing economies, inflation rates are typically higher, which often translates to a larger pay bump.
According to the Aon survey, turnover levels in Singapore firms during the period from June 1, 2024 to June 1 this year remained among the highest at 19.3% in the region, just behind the Philippines (20%). Voluntary exits accounted for most attritions in Singapore at 12.7%, while involuntary exits stood at 6.6%.
Compared with its regional peers, Singapore’s involuntary turnover rate was the highest, while Vietnam recorded the lowest rate at 2.1%.
Across industries in Singapore, the manufacturing sector saw the highest overall turnover (26%) and voluntary turnover (20.9%) rates.
Meanwhile, the retail and hospitality sector recorded the highest involuntary turnover rate at 7.3%, followed by the technology sector at 6.8%.
Regionally, most companies in all six markets are projecting a flat headcount in the second half of 2025.
Sales and information technology are among the hottest jobs in all six markets.
Rachel Jaya Prakash, Aon’s associate partner and head of talent solutions in Malaysia, said: “The skill sets of sales people are evolving because products are getting more complex, and services are getting more sophisticated. So there’s a niche talent pool that’s able to deliver that in the market.”
She added that the need for data protection also boosts the demand for tech professionals, especially those specialising in cyber security.
Aon’s head of data solutions in South-East Asia Evon Lock said that as companies leverage the use of tech and artificial intelligence, they tend to prefer optimising instead of growing their workforce aggressively. — The Straits Times/ANN
