Singapore Workforce Engagement Below Regional, Global Averages - Report

By Anas Hassan

SINGAPORE, June 22 (Bernama) -- Singapore's workforce engagement stood below regional and global benchmarks, with only 14 per cent of workers engaged at work, according to a study by the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) and Gallup.

The inaugural Singapore Workplace Report 2026: Powering Singapore's Future, which was released on Monday, showed that Singapore's engagement level was well below the Southeast Asia average of 25 per cent and the global mean of 20 per cent.

It said Singapore workers under 35 years reported an engagement rate of just 10 per cent, compared to 16 per cent among those aged 35 and over, a gap of six percentage points, nearly three times wider than the global gap of two percentage points.

In comparison, employee engagement levels among regional peers were higher, with the Philippines recording 39 per cent, followed by Thailand (34 per cent), Indonesia (27 per cent) and Malaysia (25 per cent).

"In 2025, 86 per cent of Singapore’s workforce was disengaged, costing the economy an estimated US$73.6 billion (US$1=RM4.13) in lost productivity annually.

"With gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to slow to 2.0-4.0 per cent in 2026, the report argues that low engagement is transitioning from a cultural concern to a strategic liability," SID said in a statement.

According to the report, stress levels among younger Singaporeans are also sharply elevated, with 53 per cent reporting daily stress, compared with 37 per cent of their older colleagues, it added.

Meanwhile, SID chair Yeoh Oon Jin emphasised that companies must play an active role in fostering workplace cultures fit for the future.

"Workforce engagement, organisational culture and leadership capability are strategic priorities directly linked to productivity, innovation, resilience and sustainable growth," he said.

-- BERNAMA