Paying the price: 48% of Singapore employees surveyed feel underpaid

25 June, 2024

New findings from ADP’s flagship People at Work 2024 report reveal Singapore respondents feel most underpaid compared to those in India, Australia, Japan and China
The respondents in Arts and Culture industry have the highest percentage of feeling underpaid, at 67%.
71% of Singapore respondents say that salary is the most important thing for them in a job, the highest percentage among all countries surveyed globally.

Singapore, 25 June 2024 – Nearly half (48%) of Singapore respondents feel underpaid in their current role, reveals ADP’s annual flagship survey, People at Work 2024: A Global Workforce View. This is the highest percentage across APAC countries surveyed, such as India (41%), Australia (42%), Japan (36%) and China (31%).

Among different industries in Singapore, workers in the Arts and Culture industry surveyed feel the most underpaid, with 67% of them expressing dissatisfaction with their pay. Following are the respondents in the Professional Services industry (55%) and the Architecture, Engineering & Building industry (50%).

Yvonne Teo, Vice President of HR APAC at ADP, says, “Given the high importance employees place on salary in a job, an alarmingly high percentage of workers feel unsatisfied with their salary. Unhappy employees can result in a less engaged workforce and high turnover, negatively impacting business performances.”

The survey shows that Singapore respondents place even higher importance on salary this year (71%), up from 69% last year, which is the highest percentage among all countries surveyed globally.

“Employers need to manage their employees’ changing, sometimes lofty, expectations. Employers must clearly communicate corporate initiatives and how they will address the issues that are most important to employees. It is essential to provide clarity on organisational objectives, the criteria for measuring success, and the ways employees contribute to achieving these goals. This is crucial for keeping employees engaged and motivated,” explains Teo.

The survey reveals that workers would be happy with other forms of compensation if they are not able to receive a salary increase, such as:

One-off bonus (e.g. Holiday/merit bonus): 44%
Additional days of annual leave/paid time off: 38%
One-off payment to help with cost of living: 34%
Shorter work weeks: 33%
Grocery/shopping vouchers: 31%

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the majority (81%) of Singapore respondents have one income stream – the highest percentage compared to India, Australia, Japan and China surveyed. Respondents in India, on the other hand, have the highest ratio of having two or more sources of income (41%).

For more insights, please read the ‘People at Work 2024: A Global Workforce View’ report.

ENDS

About the research
People at Work 2024: A Global Workforce View explores employees’ attitudes towards the current world of work and what they expect and hope for from the workplace of the future.

ADP Research Institute® surveyed 34,612 workers in 18 countries around the world between 22 October – 24 November 2023, with at least 500 per market specifically in the gig economy. This included:

15,383 in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom)
9,567 in Asia Pacific (Australia, China, India, Japan and Singapore)
5,860 in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil and Chile)
3,802 in North America (Canada and the United States)

Within the worker sample gig workers and traditional workers were identified. Gig workers were identified as those who work on a contingent, temporary, or seasonal basis, or as a freelancer, independent contractor, consultant, gig worker, or use an online platform to source work. Traditional employees were identified as those who are not working in the gig economy and instead have a permanent full or part-time position.

The survey was conducted online in the local language. Overall results are weighted to represent the size of the working population for each country.

About ADP (Nasdaq: ADP)

Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people. Learn more at ADP.com.

ADP, the ADP logo, and Always Designing for People are trademarks of ADP, Inc.

Media Contacts:

Ying Wang
PR & Brand Voice Manager, APAC
Ying.wang@adp.com

Ally Chua
+1 857 423 4481

hello@distilleri.sg