APAC Employers Increasing Headcount in 2025

Research from Hays finds 46% of Asian organisations are planning to grow their workforce over the next year despite continued economic uncertainty.

By Maggie Mancini

Hays has released its 2025 Asia Salary Guide, which surveys 8,790 skilled professionals and 3,670 employers from Singapore, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Asia, 2024 marked a year of uncertainty, during which organisations were tasked with balancing a need to streamline headcounts with ongoing skill shortages brought on by disruptive technology like AI and automation. Confidence levels among working professionals and leaders in Asia remain cautious, with 41% of respondents expressing pessimism over the economic climate for the next two to five years.  

Sentiments around future economic growth are the most negative in China (63%), followed by Japan (56%) and Hong Kong (41%). In contrast, Southeast Asia showed higher levels of optimism, led by Malaysia (30%), followed by Thailand (27%) and Singapore (22%).  

Even so, headcount projections show a modest increase, with 46% of organisations in Asia planning to grow their workforce in 2025, compared to 44% in 2024. This increase was most prevalent in Japan, with 56% of organisations expecting to increase headcount this year—a 10% increase from 2024.  

This comes in response to increasing concern over critical skill gaps within the workforce. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of organisations in Asia experienced moderate to extreme skill shortages in 2024. Of these, Japan and Thailand both faced the most trouble with talent deficits (71%).  

Organisations have cause to be concerned over turnover. While the economic downturn of 2024 saw more working professionals prioritising job security, that sentiment has shifted for 2025. Over half (57%) of professionals in Singapore are looking or are planning to look for a new job this year, over double the number of professionals who switched jobs in 2024 (20%).  

These statistics closely mirror desires to change careers this year across Asia, which averages at 55%. Professionals in Japan were most likely to leave their current workplace (66%), followed by Malaysia (62%) and Thailand (61%).  

When pressed on their reasons to leave, 43% of professionals in Asia highlighted a lack of future opportunities at their current workplace, up from 35% in 2024. These were followed by a lack of job security (22%), low salary (15%), a desire for greater challenges in their roles (15%), and poor work-life balance (15%).