SINGAPORE: A brand new survey has discovered that worker engagement in Singapore stays considerably under regional and world ranges, with solely 14% of employees reporting that they had been absolutely engaged at work final 12 months.
The findings had been revealed within the 2026 Singapore Office Report, launched by US consulting agency Gallup and the Singapore Institute of Administrators (SID). The report highlighted a rising disconnect within the office, notably amongst youthful staff, and warned that the difficulty is changing into a strategic enterprise concern as financial progress slows.
Based on the report, 86% of staff in Singapore had been both not engaged or actively disengaged at work in 2025. This lack of engagement was estimated to have resulted in annual productiveness losses price roughly US$73.6 billion, or about S$95 billion.
The report famous that Singapore’s worker engagement charge was decrease than each the Southeast Asian common of 25% and the worldwide common of 20%.
The difficulty was discovered to be particularly pronounced amongst youthful employees. Staff aged under 35 recorded an engagement charge of simply 10%, six share factors decrease than the 16% recorded amongst employees aged 35 and above.
On the similar time, youthful staff reported considerably larger ranges of stress. Greater than half, or 53%, mentioned they skilled stress day-after-day, in contrast with 37% of older staff.
Researchers discovered that many organisations have but to adapt their office practices to satisfy the expectations and wishes of youthful generations. Management’s efforts on this space acquired a score of simply 3.25 out of 5.
The report additionally highlighted the rising affect of generative synthetic intelligence on the workforce. As AI more and more takes over routine and primary duties that had been historically dealt with by junior staff, issues have emerged that future generations of middle-level staff could miss out on foundational expertise improvement and coaching alternatives.
Administration high quality was recognized as one other key issue affecting worker engagement. The report discovered that 70% of engagement ranges are influenced by an worker’s direct supervisor.
Nonetheless, native leaders gave comparatively modest scores to their organisations’ administration efficiency, scoring it 3.32 out of 5. Their evaluation of successor improvement was even decrease, at 3.05.
The report mentioned firms usually promote staff into administration roles with out offering ample preparation or help. It additionally discovered that efficiency analysis and reward methods have a tendency to put better emphasis on particular person achievements than on staff improvement and progress.
Staff who weren’t engaged at work had been discovered to face considerably better emotional pressure. The analysis confirmed they had been twice as prone to expertise every day stress and 3 times extra prone to really feel anger each day in contrast with their extra engaged counterparts.
Towards the backdrop of an anticipated slowdown in Singapore’s GDP progress charge to between 2% and 4% this 12 months, the report warned that worker engagement can now not be seen solely as a office tradition problem, however have to be handled as a strategic precedence for organisations.
To assist strengthen management capabilities in managing individuals and expertise, SID will associate with Singapore Administration College to launch a brand new course on strategic human capital administration within the fourth quarter of this 12 months.
The programme is meant to equip administrators with sensible frameworks and instruments to handle human assets extra successfully at a strategic degree, as organisations navigate workforce challenges and altering worker expectations.
