Expert cites 'mismatch between job roles and employee skills and aspirations'
Employees in Singapore emerged as the unhappiest workforce in Southeast Asia, driven mostly by inadequate salary and lack of recognition, a new report has revealed.
Nearly one in five Singaporean employees (19%) are unhappy at work, according to the report by Jobstreet and Jobsdb by SEEK, which polled over 5,000 workforce respondents across SEA.
The unhappiness rate in Singapore is higher than the global average of 10% and is also much higher than other countries in the region.
Source: Jobstreet and Jobsdb by SEEK
Inadequate salary and benefits are cited by 52% of Singaporean respondents as the main reason for their unhappiness, according to the report. More than a third also cited lack of recognition (36%) and lack of career advancement opportunities.
Skills mismatch in Singapore
Meanwhile, the report further found that only 14% of Singaporean employees feel their current job matches their skills and aspirations very or perfectly well.
Lower-wage earners in the city-state are also more likely to say that their current job does not align with their skills and aspirations, according to the report.
Source: Jobstreet and Jobsdb by SEEK
"This mismatch between job roles and employee skills and aspirations could be connected to the broader challenges faced by Singaporeans in finding a satisfying job," said Jobstreet and Jobsdb by SEEK in its media release.
According to the report, 57% of Singaporeans feel that it is now more challenging to find a job that matches their skills and preferences than they first entered the workforce.
In fact, 53% of Singaporeans said finding the right job is just as hard as looking for the right long-term partner, while 27% say it's much more difficult.
Choosing job stability
Despite this unhappiness at work, the report found that 72% of Singaporeans are planning to stay in an outgrown position for more than a year before looking for new opportunities.
This is also despite 79% of them saying that they are open to making drastic career changes.
Source: Jobstreet and Jobsdb by SEEK
Singaporeans' reservations in looking for a new job were attributed by about a third of the respondents to uncertainty in future job prospects (35%), work-life balance concerns on the new role (35%), and financial stability (31%).
Chew Siew Mee, Managing Director, Singapore, Jobstreet by SEEK, said their findings indicate that Singaporeans' career decisions are influenced by practicality, where they prioritise stability than looking for more fulfilling or challenging work.
"Coupled with uncertainties of today's job market, this caution may be warranted – but at the same time, these employees may miss out on new opportunities that could unlock greater career growth and longer-term satisfaction," Chew said in a statement.
SEEK was named as the Best Companies to Work for in Asia in 5-Star Employers of Choice. Read the full report here.
