Feeling down at work? Singapore tops list of unhappiest employees among Southeast Asian countries, survey finds

Do you consider yourself a happy employee?

If not, it seems there are a number of Singaporean workers who are also singing the same tune.

According to a survey conducted by recruitment site Jobstreet and Jobsdb by Seek, Singapore ranks the highest when it comes to how unhappy employees are at work (19 per cent).

The study was conducted in May 2024 and reached out to more than 5,000 participants across Southeast Asia.

Regional neighbours Malaysia (12 per cent) and the Philippines (11 per cent) take second and third spot, respectively, when it comes to unhappiness at work.

Indonesia, however, sits at the other end of the spectrum with only four per cent claiming to be unhappy employees.

Roughly half (53 per cent) of Singaporean participants mentioned inadequate salary and benefits to be the cause of their unhappiness at work.

Other contributing factors include lack of recognition (36 per cent) and lack of career advancement opportunities (36 per cent).

It's not a match

While it seems like pay is the primary factor to dissatisfaction, only 15 per cent of Singaporeans claim they are "highly likely" to accept a high-paying job that doesn't match their career goals or skill sets.

For comparison, the regional average for this metric is 24 per cent.

This implies that Singaporeans value long-term career goals and job satisfaction over immediate financial gains.

Unfortunately, one's ability to find a job that matches their career goals or skill sets is uncommon, according to the survey.

Only 14 per cent of Singaporean employees felt that their current job matched their aspirations very or perfectly well.

In fact, more than half (53 per cent) of Singaporean respondents mentioned that finding the right job is just as challenging as finding the right long-term partner.

Gen Zs too

A survey conducted by insurance firm Cigna Singapore in November 2022 found that 95 per cent of Singaporeans aged 18 to 24–or Gen Zs–are the most stressed here.

The survey, which involved 1,001 respondents, found that top stressors are cost of living, uncertainty about the future and personal finance.

Gen Zs are the most likely to experience symptoms of procrastination and experiencing self-doubt.

ALSO READ: Singapore comes 3rd in Southeast Asia for daily workplace stress, according to Gallup study

amierul@asiaone.com

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