Stress levels among Singapore firms highest in Southeast Asia: report

The report also showed optimism in the labour market is waning.

A new survey by Jobstreet and Jobsdb showed the average organisational stress level among companies in Singapore was the highest in Southeast Asia.

On a scale of 10, firms in the city-state reported an average stress level of 5.5, surpassing the regional average of 5.2 and slightly higher than two fellow nations with high workplace stress: Malaysia (5.4) and the Philippines (5.3).

76% of Singapore respondents said the level of stress in their workplace is only “moderate,” 16% described their work “highly stressful” while only 9% considered their offices to be in the “low-stress zone.”

To help their staff cope with stress, employers adopt various initiatives such as employee organisation activities that aim to boost employee engagement.

Heavy workload (37%), high pressure from management (27%) and lack of ample career development opportunities (23%) were the top three causes of stress for employees across all of Southeast Asia.

The report, titled “Southeast Asia's Hiring, Compensation, and Benefits Report 2024,” also showed Singapore’s job market is starting to soften with only 32% of employers optimistic that hiring activity will pick up in the second half of the year, compared to 45% in the first half.

49% of the respondents said they are planning to increase headcount of permanent staff for the next six months while 45% are planning to maintain their existing staff levels.

The study drew insights from 3,750 companies across five countries in Southeast Asia, including 673 respondents in Singapore, to assess the current employment landscape in the region.