ASIAN SALARY INCREASES LOWER SINCE ECONOMIC CRISIS

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, April 8 (Bernama) -- Pay rises across Asia Pacific are down 40
percent from those predicted prior to the global economic crisis, according to
ECA International's latest salary trends survey.

The survey found that pay increases for the Asia Pacific region will average
4.8 percent in 2009, 30 percent below last year's 6.9 percent rises.

Salaries in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore have recorded the biggest
downward adjustments with almost a third of Asia Pacific-based companies
surveyed planning to put salary increases on hold.

"Asia Pacific has been severely affected by the economic downturn and this
is reflected in how companies have planned their salary reviews in 2009," said
ECA's regional director for Asia Lee Quane.

"This is most evident in Japan. Just over six months ago, companies
operating in Japan were forecasting that salaries would increase by a relatively
healthy 2.8 percent, now half the companies we spoke to said they will be
freezing pay," he said.

Singapore's workers could expect salary increases of two percent compared
with last year's five percent increases, well below the regional average of 4.8
percent and almost two-thirds lower than initial forecasts, ECA said.

Worldwide, salary increases are expected to fall from last year's 6.2
percent average to around 4.7 percent as companies look for ways to cut costs in
response to the global economic crisis.

ECA's Salary Trends Survey is conducted annually for over 50 countries.

The survey is used by international companies to monitor and benchmark
company salary levels in local markets around the world. -- BERNAMA