S'pore & Hong Kong workers unhappiest in Asia-Pacific, Indonesia happiest: Survey

Employees in Hong Kong and Singapore are the unhappiest in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a survey by employment firm Seek.

The firm operates various websites, including Jobstreet in Singapore and JobsDB in Hong Kong.

The survey was conducted between October and November 2025.

Responses gathered from those living in Singapore involved around 1,000 individuals, who were aged 18 to 64 and in the employment market.

In the survey results, only 47 per cent of respondents in Hong Kong reported that they feel somewhat or extremely happy at work.

About 56 per cent of employees in Singapore said the same.

In contrast, 82 per cent said they were happy in Indonesia — the highest among the eight Asia-Pacific markets surveyed — and 77 per cent said so in the Philippines.

More money, more happy?

Nearly half of workers in Singapore reported feeling burnt out or exhausted, the survey found.

This sentiment was expressed even by workers who reported feeling happy.

The most commonly-cited reasons for workplace unhappiness were stress levels, career progression opportunities, and senior leadership.

Asked what would make them happier at work, most said a higher salary, with 64 per cent of respondents indicating it in their top five factors.

This was a pattern also found in Hong Kong, where 69 per cent said a higher salary would make them happier.

Generational differences

Among the different generations, millennials were unhappiest with their stress levels, at around 31 per cent.

They were also the most generally unhappy at work, with just around half — 52 per cent — reporting that they felt happy.

Meanwhile, 62 per cent of Gen Z workers said they were happy, the report found.

Baby Boomers came out tops in terms of workplace happiness, with 71 per cent of the older generation reporting that they were happy at work.

This is likely due to their seniority in the workplace, as Baby Boomers are more likely to hold leadership positions where their expertise is highly valued, the report found.

Income, gender differences

Men were significantly happier at work than women.

About 62 per cent of men reported feeling happy, while just 51 per cent of women did.

This aligns to differences in income, the report found: "Men are more likely to be higher income earners than women."

When ranked by income, those earning above S$10,000 a month were the happiest.

The least happy were those who earned below S$3,999 a month.

But a higher income also correlated with a higher level of burnout, the report found.

About 51 per cent of those in the highest income bracket reported feeling burnout, while 54 per cent in the second-highest bracket — S$6,000 to S$9,999 — said the same.

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