SALARY SURVEY 2013 - Robert Walters Singapore

Following the election of a newgovernment, a more stablepolitical climate and recoveryfrom the 2011 mass floodings,foreign firms became moreconfident about investing in thecountry. The result was steadygrowth in the Thai economy,which was also prompted byvarious other factors – includingthe government’s economicstimulus measures, increaseddomestic consumption and acompetitive Thai export industry.These encouragingdevelopments were reflectedin the jobs market. Exportmanufacturing was the secondhighest foreign capitalgeneratingsector in Thailandafter tourism as a result of thehigh demand for Thai goodsaround the world. There wasa strong level of hiring activityin the manufacturing sector,especially in the automotivesegment, due to furtherinvestment growth and risingGDP in Thailand. Engineering,operations, supply chain andlogistics, quality assuranceand R&D professionals wereparticularly in demand, withEnglish language proficiencyessential for all roles.With Thailand poised to be oneof ten countries in a single AseanEconomic Community (AEC)(scheduled to be formallyimplemented by early 2015),it is likely to become betterintegrated in the region and enjoya more competitive businessposition. As part of the AEC,Thailand will have access to anintegrated total consumer baseof over 600 million potentialcustomers. As a result, weanticipate significant growth inthe tourism and hospitality sectorsproviding a boost to the Thaieconomy and jobs market. Wealso anticipate continued demandfor HR, IT, sales and marketing,manufacturing and engineeringand supply chain professionalsover the next 12 months.However, skills shortages arelikely to remain a key challengefor businesses in 2013. Employerswill need to consider how they canattract high-calibre candidatesto help drive productivity andrevenue when hiring. Employersshould also aim to provide trainingprogrammes to upskill theirworkforce and develop a strongtalent pipeline, while alsoimplementing effective talentretention measures.THAILANDThe government invested heavilyin technology, infrastructure andconstruction projects and thesewere key drivers of economicgrowth. As engineering andconstruction companies, inparticular, sought to assist withthese implementations, they hiredproject engineers, mechanicalengineers and project managersin notable volumes. Due to arise in income and consumerspending, we also saw increasedjob opportunities for marketingprofessionals with digital andonline skills, brand and productmanagers and sales specialistswithin the FMCG, retail andhospitality sectors.Robert Walters Global Salary Survey 2013 2012