1 December 2025

Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ now available in Singapore

Source: Samsung Electronics. The Galaxy Tab A11+ offers powerful performance for everyday lifestyles. Tablets fanned out to show the colourways available.
Source: Samsung Electronics. The Galaxy Tab A11+ offers powerful performance for everyday lifestyles.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ is now available in Singapore. Designed to elevate everyday productivity, the Galaxy Tab A11+ brings powerful performance, immersive entertainment, and future-ready reliability in an 11" screen.

Delivering essential entertainment and browsing experiences that users love, the Galaxy Tab A11+ comes enhanced with intelligent tools for multitasking, a long-lasting battery for uninterrupted usage, and a sleek design inspired by the Galaxy S Series. Galaxy users can also look forward to more intuitive Galaxy features to empower everyday tasks with the Galaxy Tab A11+. Running on the Android 16-based One UI 8 out of the box, the Galaxy Tab A11+ offers the latest Samsung DeX1 with new features for enhanced productivity.

The Galaxy Tab A11+ delivers improvements on all fronts. It has a powerful processor, with up to 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage to support smooth gaming and multitasking. With 5G network compatibility, Galaxy Tab A11+ users can take advantage of unrivalled mobile data speeds while on-the-go. Easy access to AI experiences and faster browsing is standard, with helpful features like Gemini2 and Circle to Search with Google3. The tablet also offers up to 2 TB of expandable storage with a microSD card.

Enjoy the Galaxy Tab A11+’s display, which has a 90 Hz refresh rate. The screen stays bright and clear even under direct sunlight.

A 7,040 mAh battery and 25 W Fast Charging4 frees users to do more of what they love. The Galaxy Tab A11+ features quad speakers that deliver enhanced sound quality with Dolby Atmos for a multidimensional audio experience. A 3.5mm audio jack supports wired headphones.

The Galaxy A11+ is backed by Samsung Knox for enterprise-grade security. Support is offered for up to seven generations of software and seven years of security updates. 

Details

The new Galaxy Tab A11+ is available for purchase via the following channels:

- Samsung Experience Stores

- Samsung Online Store and Shop app

- Samsung Official Stores on Lazada, Shopee and TikTok

- Selected consumer electronics and IT stores including Best Denki, Challenger, Courts, Gain City and Harvey Norman

The Galaxy Tab A11+ will be available in Gray and Silver, at the following recommended retail price (RRP):

Model

Colour

Built-in Storage5

RRP

(Including GST)

Galaxy Tab A11+ WiFi

Grey, Silver

6 GB + 128 GB

S$398

Galaxy Tab A11+ 5G 

Grey, Silver

6 GB + 128 GB

S$458

Till 9 January 2026, consumers who purchase the Galaxy Tab A11+ via Samsung Experience Stores and selected consumer electronics and IT stores can power up with deals worth S$666, including:

- Free 25 W power adapter (worth S$38)7

- Additional 1-year Extended Warranty (worth S$28)8

1 The Galaxy Tab A11+ does not support Extended Mode for connection with a dual-screen setup.

2 Gemini is a trademark of Google. Gemini Live feature requires Internet connection and Google Account login. Service availability may vary by country, language, device model. Features may differ depending on subscription and results may vary. Compatible with certain features and certain accounts. Currently, you can use a personal Google Account that you manage on your own, or a work or school account for which your administrator has enabled access to Gemini. You must be 13 (or the applicable age in your country) or over to use Gemini with a personal or school Google Account and 18 or over to use Gemini with a work account.

3 Circle to Search is a trademark of Google. Service availability may vary by country, language and device model. Requires internet connection. Users may need to update Android and Google app to the latest version. Works on compatible apps and surfaces. Results may vary depending on visual matches. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

4 Typical value tested under third-party laboratory condition. Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. Rated (minimum) capacity is 6840mAh. Battery life is based on results from internal lab tests for typical usage pattern scenarios conducted by Samsung. Actual battery life may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns and other factors. Charging speed may vary depending on charging conditions and other factors. Using the original Samsung data cable is recommended.

5 Actual user-accessible internal memory is less than specified total memory due to storage of the operating system, the software used to operate device features, and other built-in applications, and may vary after software updates/upgrades.

6 This promotion is valid to 9 January 2026. Gifts are while stocks last and Samsung reserves the right to replace any gift with another item. Gifts are not exchangeable for cash or other items, in full or in part.

7 Does not come with cable and is only valid for SES and Consumer Electronics & IT online stores.

8 This product is warranted for the specified Warranty Period from the date of original retail purchase against defects in quality and materials under normal, non-commercial use. Unless otherwise specified, this warranty only covers the defects in material, design and workmanship of the hardware components of the Product as originally supplied. The warranty does not cover any software, consumable items, or accessories even if packaged or sold together with the Product. Visit https://www.samsung.com/sg/support/warranty/ for more information.

27 November 2025

Get in the festive mood with Pan Pacific Singapore

This festive season at Pan Pacific Singapore, enjoy a range of festive offerings, including rejuvenating treatments at St Gregory, staycations, and diverse dining options across their restaurants and bar.

Festive takeaways 

The Pan Pacific culinary team has crafted traditional festive dishes available for takeaway, alongside a selection of festive goodies and hampers for gifting.

Said Pan Pacific Singapore Executive Chef Andy Oh: "Every dish is an art, plated with finesse, creativity, and passion."

Source: Pan Pacific Singapore. Festive hamper selection.

Festive hampers available in 2025, each presented in a luxe gift box, include:

The Pacific Festive Hamper (S$499 nett) 

The Pacific Festive Hamper includes a bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve champagne, homemade christstollen, homemade Myers rum fruit cake, soft nougats presented in a Christmas box, panettone figs and raisins, Bacha Coffee Sidamo Mountain, and an assortment of Christmas homemade pralines.

The Delicatessen Deluxe Hamper (S$330 nett) 

The Delicatessen Deluxe Hamper offers savoury artisanal delights, including basil pesto pork sausage (400 g), chicken garlic butter sausage (300 g), Christmas salami sticks (200 g), baby honey ham (1 kg), 5J premium Iberico de Bellota, duck rillettes with Espelette, duck pate with figs, duck pate with smoked duck breast and basil, as well as a bottle of Château Larose-Trintaudon Haut-Médoc. 

The classic Pacific Yuletide Hamper (S$150 nett) 

The classic Pacific Yuletide Hamper comprises traditional festive treats, including a gingerbread boy (100 g), acorn festive snack mix, homemade christstollen (300 g), festive cookies, mini panettone in assorted flavours, assorted Christmas homemade pralines, and Natureo sparkling non-alcoholic semi-seco.

Festive takeaways

Gourmet roasts, gourmet seafood and sides, curated festive bundles, log cakes, and more are available for celebrating elsewhere. 

Gourmet roasts, seafood, and sides 

Pan Pacific Singapore's Master Butcher Chef Haiko Mayer has introduced a new series of gourmet roasts, including Master Butcher’s pork roulade (S$227 nett), 4-hour braised lamb shank (S$172 nett), smoked gammon ham (bone-in) (S$172 nett), as well as meat ‘hammer’ beef shank (S$249 nett). 

Enjoy signature gourmet roasts, such as a traditional roasted turkey (S$216 nett), boneless honey-glazed ham (S$140 nett), and Australian beef cheek vin rouge (S$172 nett). 

Master Butcher Mayer said: "Our festive takeaways, all made fresh in-house, are a true labour of love." 

Indulge in a curated array of gourmet seafood and sides, such as newly debuted oven-baked whole red snapper (S$249 nett), cheese-baked lobster thermidor (S$249 nett), roasted winter vegetables with dried cranberry and chestnuts (S$49 nett), honey-glazed Brussel sprouts with caramelised onion and bacon (S$44 nett), as well as potato ‘mille-feuille’ with mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano (S$60 nett). 

All gourmet roasts and seafood are accompanied with a side of Brussel sprouts, tiny heirloom carrots, and broccolini.  

Festive bundles 

This year, Executive Pastry Chef, Chef Edina Si and her culinary team present two brand-new log cake flavours - the rich and indulgent pure chocolate log cake (S$88 nett), as well as a pretty-in-pink white peach tea log cake (S$88 nett). 

The Premium Festive Bundle (S$576 nett) features a traditional roasted turkey, cheese-baked lobster thermidor, 4-hour braised lamb shank, and the pure chocolate log cake. 

The Traditional Festive Bundle (S$358 nett) is a timeless selection. Enjoy the traditional roasted turkey with an oven-baked whole red snapper, and a homemade Myers rum infused fruit cake. 

Traditional festive sweets and log cakes

Make your holidays even sweeter with Pacific Emporium’s festive sweet delights, including the homemade traditional christstollen (S$55 nett), a homemade Myers rum infused fruit cake (S$62 nett), a homemade large gingerbread House (S$110 nett), and homemade Christmas pralines (six pieces / 12 pieces / 24 pieces) (S$22/ S$39/ S$65 nett respectively). 

Details

The festive offerings can be ordered through panpacificsingapore.oddle.me/en_SG till 26 December 2025. Enjoy the convenience of delivery or opt for self-collection from the festive booth located on level 1 of Pan Pacific Singapore till 26 December 2025.

Early bird discounts of up to 30% off end on 30 November 2025. From 1 December until 26 December 2025, enjoy discounts of up to 25% off.

View the festive brochure

Festive dining at PLUME

Get the festive celebrations going at PLUME with Head Mixologist Akmal Haqim and Bar Manager Siew Han Jun. Indulge in Head Mixologist Akmal Haqim’s selection of festive cocktails, such as the classic PLUME mulled wine (S$20++), a warming blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cointreau, festive spices, ginger flower, and honey, and the nostalgic Christmas favourite, classic egg nog (S$20++, Bourbon, egg, milk, sugar, and festive spices). A satisfying non-alcoholic option, the No Fly Nog (S$15++), is also available. 

The experience will be elevated by live band performances on 24 and 25 December 2025. 

Details 

From now to 25 December 2025
5 pm – 1 am
Live band performances on 24 and 25 December 2025: 8:30 pm – 11:45 pm

Prices quoted are in Singapore dollars, and are subject to service charge and prevailing government taxes.

For reservations, call +65 9459 7165 or email dining.ppsin@panpacific.com

Embrace the season at Edge

Executive Chef Oh and his culinary team have curated an extravagant buffet spread comprising classic festive delights, alongside Edge’s signature international buffet spread. Served across live kitchens, diners can savour a premium seafood selection, succulent roasts, and the season’s favourites, such as oven-roasted grass-fed lamb leg with ras el hanout spices, maple-glazed gammon ham with spiced pineapple marmalade, chicken leg confit with savoy cabbage, and Mediterranean turkey pizza. The grill station features more delights: a slow-roasted ribeye, Yorkshire pudding, and truffle jus.

Seafood lovers will relish the expansive spread of fresh seafood, including freshly-shucked seasonal oysters, king crab leg, Boston lobster, tiger prawns, Pacific clams, scallops on the half-shell, sea conch, black mussel, and crawfish. Also available are cold cuts made in-house by Master Butcher Mayer, such as homecured beef salami, Virginia ham, pastrami, mortadella, paprika lyoner, and Black Forest ham. 

An irresistible variety of festive treats are set out at the dessert bar, including dark chocolate Log cake, homemade Christmas stollen, rum-soaked fruit cake, and more.

Executive Sous Chef Patrick Ooi observed: "This season, Edge’s festive buffet spread is inspired by nostalgic, comforting flavours, infused with the spirit of the holidays."

Details

For reservations, please call +65 6826 8240 or email dining.ppsin@panpacific.com

Weekday lunch
(Except on 24, 25, or 31 December 2025 and 1 January 2026)
12 pm - 2:30 pm
Adult: S$88++

Daily dinner
(Except on 24, 25, or 31 December 2025 and 1 January 2026)
6 pm - 10 pm 
Adult: S$128++*

Saturday lunch 
29 November, 6, 13, 20, 27 December 2025 
12 pm - 3 pm 
Adult: S$108++*

Sunday brunch
30 November, 7, 14, 21, 28 December 2025
12 pm - 3:30 pm
Adult: S$138++*, S$198++**

Christmas Eve lunch
24 December 2025
12 pm - 3 pm
Adult: S$118++*

Christmas Eve dinner
24 December 2025
6 pm - 10 pm
Adult: S$198++*, S$278++**

Christmas Day brunch
25 December 2025

1st seating: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm | 2nd seating: 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Adult: S$198++*, S$278++**
Enjoy a live band performance by Myra and Band, meet-and-greet Santa, and be entertained by a roving balloon sculptor. 

Christmas Day dinner
25 December 2025
6 pm - 10 pm
Adult: S$198++*, S$278++**

New Year’s Eve lunch
31 December 2025
12 pm - 3 pm
Adult: S$108++*

*Inclusive of free flow of chilled juices and soft drinks

New Year’s Eve dinner
31 December 2025
6 pm - 10 pm
Adult: S$208++*, S$288++**
Enjoy a live band performance by Myra and Band, photobooth, as well as a roving magician.

New Year’s Day brunch
1 January 2026
12 pm - 3:30 pm
Adult: S$138++*, S$198++**

New Year’s Day dinner

1 January 2026
6 pm - 10 pm
Adult: S$128++*

*Inclusive of free flow of chilled juices and soft drinks

**Beverage package – Inclusive of free flow of Taittinger Brut Réserve Champagne, house red wine, house white wine, a selection of house spirits, cocktails, chilled juices, and soft drinks

Holiday dining at Hai Tien Lo 

Hai Tien Lo’s six-course festive menu, priced at $208++ per person, is curated by Executive Chinese Chef Edden Yap and his culinary team. The menu will be available till 1 January 2026 and includes:

  • Chilled seasonal turkey salad with passion fruit sauce
  • Combination of sliced barbecued suckling pig and black caviar, with swan puff wanton and bonito flakes
  • Nutritious double-boiled fish bone broth with fish maw and lobster
  • Steamed sea perch fillet with asparagus, lily bulbs, crab meat, and roe
  • Wok-fried rice with egg white, ham, and dried scallops
  • Chilled cream of avocado and chocolate ice cream, with macarons

Details

Lunch | 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Dinner | 6 pm – 10:30 pm
S$208++ per person
Minimum of two persons
Beverage packages are available at a supplement from S$48++.

For reservations, please call +65 6826 8240 or email dining.ppsin@panpacific.com

Elegant artistry at Keyaki

Embark on a culinary discovery of Japanese cuisine through seasonal flavours, precise preparation methods, and presentations that reflect nature at Keyaki, brought to you by Executive Japanese Chef Teruya Noriyoshi and his culinary team.

Chef Noriyoshi said: "I created these menus to share a taste of my heritage and warmth wth my diners during this festive season."

Winter Kaiseki Experience

Enjoy two curated winter kaiseki menus, Shimotsuki (S$250++ per person) and Shiwasu (S$330++ per person), available for both lunch and dinner.

The Shimotsuki menu* features:

  • Foie gras pâté and jimami tofu, with raspberry pearls and Alba white truffles 
  • Mozuku-su with snow crab
  • Sweet corn flan with Bafun uni 
  • Kuruma-ebi with asparagus and mango, in kimizu 
  • Seasonal premium sashimi 
  • Spiny lobster ravioli with umami ankake and Alba white truffles 
  • Roasted A4 Kyushu wagyu in egg yolk sukiyaki sauce 
  • Premium fish nigiri sushi (three pieces) 
  • Japanese seasonal fruits

Treat tastebuds with the Shiwasu Menu, which features: 

  • Foie gras pâté and jimami tofu, with raspberry pearls and Alba white truffles
  • Shiro-ebi with caviar
  • Hokkaido kegani in shiro miso Americaine bavarois
  • Sweet corn flan with Bafun uni, akagai and junsai, in yuzu sanbaizu
  • Seasonal premium sashimi
  • Uni shiso tempura with seasonal Japanese vegetables
  • Pan-seared half Normandy blue lobster in kimizu sauce 
  • Premium fish nigiri sushi (three pieces)

The set includes a choice of one main course: Amiyaki A4 Kyushu wagyu marinated in kome-koji with Alba white truffles, or Lumina rack of lamb with Alba white truffles in egg yolk sukiyaki sauce. 

Conclude the dining experience with Japanese seasonal fruits and Hokkaido cheesecake.

New Year Kaiseki Experience

From 31 December 2025, relish the New Year Kaiseki (S$270++ per person). Alternatively, guests may enjoy the Keyaki-style Osechi (S$118++) and Ozoni (S$35++) à la carte.

The New Year Kaiseki features***: 

  • Kouhaku sashimi of akami, toro, tai, and kimedai 
  • Keyaki-style Osechi set of simmered tiger prawn, roasted wagyu, and foie gras monaka, with black beans
  • Uni rolled in shiso tempura
  • Grilled cod with Saikyo miso paste 
  • Grilled scallop and burdock wrapped with sea eel and carrot, with bamboo shoot and plum 
  • Pan-seared Normandy blue lobster in kimizu sauce
  • Five kinds of premium nigiri sushi
  • Ozoni 
  • Musk melon

Details

Winter Kaiseki Experience

Till 31 January 2026
Lunch | 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Dinner | 6 pm – 10:30 pm
From S$250++ per person

New Year Kaiseki Experience

31 December 2025 - 2 January 2026
Lunch | 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Dinner | 6 pm – 10:30 pm
S$270++ per person 

For reservations, please call +65 6826 8240 or email dining.ppsin@panpacific.com

*A4 wagyu is premium high-quality wagyu beef. In general, the higher the number, the better the quality of the beef. Ankake style cooking involves a thick sauce poured over the food. Jimami tofu is an Okinawan specialty made with peanut milk, while mozuku-su refers to mozoku seaweed from Okinawa marinated in vinegar. Kimizu is a sauce made from egg yolks and rice vinegar, and kuruma ebi are Japanese tiger prawns. 

**Amiyaki is a Japanese grilling method. Junsai is a water vegetable. Kegani is the horsehair crab, and kimedai is the golden eye snapper. Kome-koji is fermented steamed rice. Osechi refers to a traditional Japanese new year feast while ozoni is the soup prepared for the Japanese new year. Sanbaizu is a vinegar-based seasoning. Shiro ebi are baby white shrimp.

***Akami is the red meat from tuna. Monaka is a traditional wafer sandwich. Saikyo miso is a white miso from Kyoto.

Festive entertainment

The lobby of Pan Pacific Singapore has been transformed into a hub of holiday cheer. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the festive ambiance will be elevated by a live performance from 20 talented carollers from One Choral Company, a registered charity, which is dedicated to promoting choral excellence, education, and community engagement the power of music.

In addition to the carolling, Santa Claus and Santarina will be making special appearances.

Carolling on 24 December 2025
7 pm - 7:30 pm
Christmas eve Santa and Santarina meet-and-greet 
7 pm – 8 pm

Carolling on 25 December 2025
12:45 pm - 1:15 pm
Christmas Santa and Santarina meet-and-greet
11:45 am – 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

St Gregory

Tinsel Tranquillity Package 

St Gregory’s Tinsel Tranquillity Package includes a choice of Thalion Oceanic Bliss, a 75-minute massage tailored to your preference, or Thalion Intense Revitalisation, a 75-minute session for deep muscle relief. Conclude the treatment with a 15-minute scalp massage, designed to ease tension. 

Details

The Tinsel Tranquillity package (S$250 nett) is available until 31 December 2025 from 11 am - 8 pm. 

For reservations, please call +65 6826 8140 or email stgregory.ppsin@panpacific.com

Festive e-gifting 

Give the gift of the Pan Pacific experience, from revitalising wellness, luxurious room stays, and dining experiences:

Indulge in the Weekend Spacation Voucher (S$680++), featuring a Deluxe Panoramic Room with day access, a choice of a 60-minute Relaxing Aromatic Body Bliss or Indonesian Balinese Massage for two, a buffet-style afternoon tea for two at Pacific Emporium, and more!

The Festive Staycation Voucher, on the other hand, begins from S$400++ and comes with breakfast at Edge, and a welcome drink for two at PLUME.

Celebrate the weekend at Keyaki with a Japanese Weekend Brunch (Kaiseki-style) Voucher (S$79.20++). Presented okonomi ("as you like") style, diners can decide from selected perennial Japanese culinary favourites and speciality dishes.

Details

Select experiences at the eShop at eshop-ppsin.panpacific.com

Countdown Party at PLUME on New Year’s Eve 

Indulge in a countdown celebration with handcrafted cocktails and gourmet canapés, accompanied by live performances by Rock Rosette and DJ Amanda. As Bar Manager Siew Han Jun said, it's a party for a "New Year, new beginnings! Toast to the exciting new journey ahead!"

Details

Table of two persons at S$388++
Table of four persons at S$688++
Table of eight persons at S$1,188++
Table of 10 – 15 persons at S$1,988++ 

The above packages include a selection of spirits, beers, wines, cocktails, and food. 

The Nest Private Countdown 

This exclusive arrangement serves a table of 20 persons with a minimum spend of S$8,800++. The package includes a private bartender and three litres of champagne. 

Details

31 December 2025
5 pm – 3 am
Rock Rosettes live band | 9:30 pm - 12:15 pm
DJ Amanda | 12:15 am – 2:30 am
For reservations, please call +65 9459 7165 or email dining.ppsin@panpacific.com

All prices quoted are in Singapore dollars, and are inclusive of prevailing government taxes.  

Hashtags: #PanPacificSingapore, #ShareYourMoments, #EdgeSG, #HaiTienLoSG, #KeyakiSG, #PacificEmporiumSG, #PLUMESG

26 November 2025

Singapore leads the world in talent competitiveness

Source: INSEAD GTCI infographic. Chart. GTCI ranks in 2023 vs 2025.
Source: INSEAD GTCI infographic. GTCI ranks in 2023 vs 2025. Singapore has moved up while Australia has moved down in the top 12.

Singapore has leapfrogged Switzerland to take top spot in the latest Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), riding on its strength in cultivating adaptable, digitally fluent and innovation-ready workforces in the age of AI.

This year is the first time the city-state topped the annual ranking, which was launched by INSEAD in 2013 as a benchmark for policy thinking on labour markets, work organisation and talent flows.

Themed Resilience in the Age of Disruption, the 11th GTCI examines how nations and economies are building talent systems capable of weathering disruptions. The ranking of 135 economies is based on 77 indicators, including soft skills and AI talent concentration, across six dimensions: Enable, Attract, Grow, Retain, Vocational and Technical Skills, and Generalist Adaptive Skills.

Lily Fang, INSEAD’s Dean of Research and Innovation, commented: “This year’s report should be seen as much more than a race between nations. It offers leaders thoughtful points of reflection on how to integrate powerful technologies, such as AI, into the grand pursuit of human progress.”

This year’s ranking also marks the launch of a new partnership between INSEAD and the Portulans Institute, a non-profit research outfit based in the US. “This collaboration brings renewed depth and clarity to the GTCI at a time when rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty and profound societal transitions make dependable talent metrics more essential than ever,” said Rafael Escalona Reynoso, CEO of Portulans Institute.

Singapore stands apart in the latest ranking for the constant evolution of its educational system and its forward-looking approach to nurturing an adaptive and innovation-driven workforce, said the GTCI report.

The city-state was ranked first in Generalist Adaptive Skills for a workforce armed with the soft skills, digital literacy and innovation-oriented thinking that today’s fast-shifting landscape demands. Generalist Adaptive Skills has emerged as one of the strongest determinants of talent competitiveness. Singapore’s ability to retain talent also surged seven spots from 2023, to 31st in 2025. 

The city-state has also scored well for its effective governance and high standard of living, in addition to the constant evolution of its educational system and its forward-looking approach to nurturing an adaptive, innovation-driven workforce. Furthermore, Singapore placed first in the Formal Education and Regulatory Landscape measures, showing the depth and resilience of its human capital systems and institutional frameworks. 

“Economies that cultivate adaptable, cross-functional and AI-literate workforces tend to be better positioned to convert disruption into opportunity and sustain long-term competitiveness,” said Professor Paul Evans, Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD and co-editor of the report.

“This year’s results underscore that talent competitiveness is not solely a function of income level, but of strategic policy orientation, institutional quality and effective mobilisation of human capital resources.”

GTCI 2025: The top 20

1. Singapore

11. Ireland

2. Switzerland

12. UK

3. Denmark

13. Iceland

4. Finland

14. Canada

5. Sweden

15. Belgium

6. Netherlands

16. Austria

7. Norway

17. Germany

8. Luxembourg

18. New Zealand

9. US

19. France

10. Australia

20. Czech Republic

One of the defining messages of GTCI 2025 is that the ability to translate investments into meaningful outcomes will set economies apart in the talent race. Singapore, South Korea and Israel stood out for their ability to get better talent outcomes with fewer resources. 

This was also true for some lower-middle income countries such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Low-income countries also demonstrated strong foundations for talent development. 

Evans said: “Economies that align education, labour and innovation systems towards adaptive talent development can achieve high performance even with modest income levels.” 

Regionally speaking, there were few surprises. Europe continues to dominate the ranking, accounting for 18 of the top 25 positions. In Asia and Oceania, Australia (10th) and New Zealand (18th) outscored Singapore in retaining talent but fell behind in General Adaptive Skills.  

China’s decline from 40th to 53rd reflected a less favourable business climate and labour market, though the report acknowledges that insufficient data could also have played a part. India, on the other hand, climbed three spots, to 100th. Strengthening the quality of its vocational education and employability could help it capitalise on its digital strengths and world-leading IT service exports.  

North Africa and Western Asia were led by Israel (23rd) while the UAE (25th) topped the region in attracting talent and developing skills, although it lagged in high-level skills.

“True resilience in talent is turning adversity into a catalyst for innovation, adaptability and renewed purpose,” said Professor Felipe Monteiro, GTCI Academic Director and Senior Affiliate Professor of Strategy at INSEAD.

“Resilience means learning how to bounce forward, not just bounce back from the inevitable shocks and crises.”

Escalona Reynoso added: “What matters most today are adaptive capabilities: the ability to collaborate, think across disciplines, innovate under pressure and navigate fast-moving, tech-driven environments.

“These are the skills that increasingly define a country’s competitiveness - and the GTCI now captures this reality more clearly than ever.”

Escalona Reynoso, Professor Evans and Professor Monteiro co-authored an INSEAD Knowledge article that identified the Nordic nations, Singapore and Switzerland as good examples of societal resilience in action. Resilience entails giving priority to active labour market practices to support citizens in bouncing forward from job loss, which may accelerate with the impact of AI, they explained.

Resilience also means having educational systems that help people learn from adversity, alongside a continued focus on developing organisational agility and collaborative problem-solving. To achieve resilience, people must be able to collaborate, think across disciplines, innovate under pressure and navigate fast-moving, tech-driven environments. The Generalist Adaptive Skills dimension of this year’s report operationalises this idea within the talent framework, while new indicators on AI capability, soft skills, employee well-being and workforce resilience measure not only where countries stand, but their preparedness for what comes next.

Taking an AI lens to the situation, the authors said that "the capacity to integrate AI tools, think critically about their use, and combine technological fluency with human-centric soft skills will be indispensable".

Explore

Download the report and infographics at https://www.insead.edu/global-talent-competitiveness-index

Hashtag: #GTCI2025

25 November 2025

Indosat’s Anti-Spam and Anti-Scam capability has stopped hundreds of millions of digital fraud attempts

Amid rising digital crime and the increasing volume of harmful spam calls and messages, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat) has reinforced its commitment to safeguarding customers through the integration of AI across its network. 

Since its launch on 7 August 2025, Indosat’s Anti-Spam and Anti-Scam feature has blocked over 200 M risky calls, alerted users to more than 90 million suspicious messages, and protected an average of 11.5 M customers per month from potential digital fraud.

This innovation forms part of Indosat’s AIvolusi5G journey, a synergy between AI and 5G network capabilities, designed to deliver a digital experience that is secure, inclusive, and empowering. Operating at the network level, the system screens suspicious calls and messages automatically, without requiring additional apps or special devices.

Urgency for this protection is underscored by the GASA State of Scams in Indonesia 2025 report released in late August. The report found that 66% of Indonesian adults encountered scam attempts in the past year, with 14% losing money totaling IDR49 T. Most scams occurred via direct-message platforms such as instant messaging and SMS. 

Bilal Khazmi, Director and Chief Commercial Officer, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison said: “This technology is designed to help our customers of all age groups explore the digital world with greater confidence. With fast connectivity, accessible products, and strong protection, we remain committed to deliver world class digital experiences, connecting and empowering every Indonesian."

Based on internal data, more than 290 M spam calls have been identified on Indosat's VoLTE network. When extrapolated to the entire customer base, this figure amounts to over 500 M identified scam and spam SMS and calls within just 2.5 months since the launch of the Anti-Spam and Anti-Scam feature. In addition, more than 145 M spam and scam messages have been flagged, including 110 M scam (fraudulent) messages.

Although the system does not yet fully block harmful calls or messages, its role as an early-warning system has proven effective in reducing financial losses and strengthening public digital awareness, Indosat said. Customers receive alerts before potential harm occurs, enabling them to take timely preventative action.

Indosat believes that technological progress must go hand-in-hand with digital literacy enhancement. Guided by the Zero Trust principle — never assume trust, always verify — this principle forms the foundation of Indosat’s approach in introducing this feature, helping the public remain vigilant toward suspicious messages, links, and calls.

The Anti-Spam and Anti-Scam feature, powered by Indosat’s AIvolusi5G technology, provides protection without requiring premium devices or additional app installations. For IM3 mobile customersthis protection is introduced as SATSPAM (Satuan Anti Scam dan Spam). SATSPAM BASIC is automatically active for all IM3 prepaid users with an active data package, and SATSPAM+ offers enhanced protection with the ability to detect malicious links.  

Tri mobile customers have a similar feature called TRI AI. AntiSpam/Scam features are available through visual detection with three colour codes: turquoise for a safe number, yellow for an unknown number, and red for high-risk numbers. 

Customers from IM3 and Tri can also access the Plus+ protection feature through the myIM3 and bima+ apps. This feature is automatically activated for users with an active data package, providing alerts via phone notifications and SMS for numbers flagged as suspicious or potentially harmful. It also offers clearer SMS warnings, colour-coded notification popups, and a call history summary accessible directly through the apps. 

Robert Walters: AI, wages, and flexibility: What Singapore hires want

Concept artwork for a workplace
generated by Bing Image Creator.
Global talent solutions business Robert Walters’ Salary Survey 2026, a benchmark of salary trends, forecasts a challenging 2026 for Singapore. The market will continue to see volatility, combined with cost pressures and the lack of skilled talent, the company said.

Demand for talent in AI, data and cloud skills continues to outstrip supply, resulting in a skills mismatch. At the same time, firms are cautious in pay planning due to economic and sectoral uncertainty. On the talent front, candidates are expecting job offers to go beyond higher pay, and include areas such as flexibility, learning opportunities and purpose, Robert Walters said.

Companies are therefore tapping on flexible resource models, which include contract roles and project-based hiring, as a valuable tool to help them stay agile.

Key findings include: 

- Industries such as banking and finance are starting to see AI applications go from pilot phases to actual implementation, and various industries across the board are seeing AI usage increase. A third of companies said that they have already introduced AI with the objective of optimising headcount, while 30% are planning to do so. 

- Functions that companies see are most at risk with the integration of AI are administration and business support (50%), IT and digital transformation (29%), as well as accounting and finance (28%). 

- Nearly eight in 10 (78%) businesses expect up to 50% of their workforce to need reskilling/upskilling due to advancements in AI over the next 5 years. To prepare themselves for AI-driven changes in the workplace, one in two (46%) of professionals surveyed said they have started to research or pursue AI-related training.

- Top skills that employers are looking for in an AI-driven workplace are critical thinking and fact-checking (71%), data analysis (59%), adaptability (44%) and ethical decision-making (41%). 

- Professionals using AI at the workplace tend to mostly use AI tools for research and information gathering (50%), chatbots or virtual assistants for communication and support (43%), as well as copywriting, content creation and editing (42%). 

- Top concerns over AI adoption at the workplace include having their jobs displaced due to automation (48%), bias or unfair treatment due to algorithms (such as in hiring or promotions) (42%), and the lack of training to keep up with AI skills (41%).  

Flexible workforce models

When asked about their hiring plans for 2026, 37% of employers are looking to increase their headcount, with most of them (30%) looking to increase it by 5-10%. 55% of companies will start or continue to hire contractors in 2026. The top reasons for hiring contractors include hiring for project or short-term needs (74%), limited headcount (36%), and a desire to not commit to a permanent headcount yet (33%).

Companies continue to need to explore employee value proposition (EVP) offerings to attract and retain talent. Among the benefits offered to employees currently, the top initiatives were giving a bonus scheme (80%), parental leave (71%), flexi/remote working (65%), commercial medical insurance (65%) and dental cover (58%).

Modest wage increments

Talent moving between jobs can expect increments of 5 to 15%, or up to 20% for niche areas such as AI or cybersecurity. Employees staying with their current companies will see their salaries increase by 3-6% to align with inflation, Robert Walters predicted.

Most employers shared that they are likely to give a modest salary increment in 2026 to current employees. Nearly seven in 10 (69%) of Singapore employers who responded said they would be giving at least 3%. Within this segment, 7% said it would be more than 6%. 

Around a quarter (27%) are likely to give a pay rise of under 3%, while 4% said that they will not be increasing salaries. On the other hand, 57% of professionals expect at least a 3% increment from their current employer, with 14% expecting more than a 6% increment.

New hires can expect a pay rise of at least 6% from 56% of employers. Over a quarter (27%) of this segment expect to give pay rises of above 10%. On the other hand, professionals looking to move jobs are more ambitious; 83% expect more than a 10% pay rise, with 23% of them likely to request a more than 20% increase in salary. 

One of the challenges when sourcing for staff is that salary and benefit expectations are too high (53%), with other top challenges being: 

- Lack of quality candidates with the right skills/experience (72%) 

- Qualified professionals are hesitant to move (25%) 

- High competition for candidates (counteroffers and buy-backs) (25%)

Beyond compensation and benefits (62%), professionals shared that flexible work arrangements (42%), job security and stability (39%), and inspiring colleagues and culture (34%) are what they would value in an employer.

Talent snapshot 

Beyond compensation and benefits, talent value having flexible work arrangements, job security and stability, and inspiring colleagues and culture from an employer. But there is an expectation gap: 27% of employers are likely to give new hires a pay rise of above 10%. However 83% of talent looking to move jobs expect more than a 10% pay rise, with 23% of them likely to request a more than 20% increase in salary. 

Employer snapshot 

Nearly four in 10 (37%) employers plan to increase their headcount, with most of them looking to increase it by 5-10%. 

- Roughly seven in 10 (69%) employers are looking to give a salary increment of at least 3% in 2026 for current employees 

- Over half (56%) are likely to give a salary increment of at least 6% to new hires 

Lack of candidates with the right skills/experience, gap in salary and benefit expectations, and talent staying put, are among the challenges faced by companies in attracting talent. Other trends include:

- Soft skills: 65% of employers value Interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills, and 59% value problem-solving and critical thinking among their employees.

- Contract hiring: 55% of companies will start or continue to hire contractors in 2026, with 74% of companies hiring contractors do so for project or short-term needs. Other reasons include headcount limitations, and a “wait to try” attitude. 

- AI-driven workplace: 78% of the businesses expect up to half of their workforce to need reskilling due to AI advancements.

- Employers are looking for talent with skillsets in critical thinking and fact-checking, data analysis, and who are highly adaptable.

- Top concerns by professionals over AI adoption at the workplace include having their jobs displaced due to automation, bias or unfair treatment due to algorithms, and the lack of relevant training.

The rapid growth in demand for AI and data skills plus the automation of transactional roles dominated the job market in 2025. Employers focused on a skills-based workforce planning approach, invested in targeted upskilling/reskilling (AI, cloud, data), and used AI to automate screening and candidate engagement. 

At the same time, talent with skills in AI, data and cloud were more mobile, while mid-career professionals saw stronger incentives to reskill. Increased competition for AI-savvy candidates led to more selective hiring and higher packages in those niche areas. 

Companies took a cautious approach to pay reviews and pay planning, with talent with in-demand skillsets benefitting from stronger pay adjustments. Some companies had stagnant salary growth, however. Companies have had to balance the cost of living and the pressure of retaining talent in terms of increments and benefits. 

Contract or gig roles continued to be made available to support business needs, while those in slower sectors faced slower hiring and more contract roles.

2026 industry predictions for Singapore

2026 will see the prevalence of AI usage, sustained careful wage management to persist, and a stronger demand for flexible workforce models. There will be continued demand for AI, data and cloud skilled talent. Companies will continue to focus on skills-based hiring, instead of looking at traditional qualifications, as well as internal mobility and talent development programmes to retain and nurture talent. 

As Singapore companies respond to the volatility and agility required in the market, the workforce will see traditional permanent roles matched with an increasing number of contract positions and project-based hiring, forecast Robert Walters.

“Gone are the days of market-wide increments. Attracting and retaining talent has become more challenging due to the volatility and pace the market is working to, combined with cost pressures and lack of skilled talent in all areas. Companies will need to stay flexible, explore employee value proposition (EVP) offerings to draw talent, and tap on analytics for market intelligence and workforce planning.

"Employers can also look into tapping on executive recruitment firms to source for leadership talent, and use leadership assessment and coaching to retain and evolve talent. They can invest in contractors to meet the pace and project-based work requirements, and look into outsourcing and managed services to support business scale and control costs,” said Kirsty Poltock, Country Manager at Robert Walters Singapore.

Other Singapore-based insights from the Salary Survey include:

Soft skills valued by employers include interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills (65%), problem-solving and critical thinking (59%), and having a positive attitude, emotional intelligence and empathy (44%). 

The functions that are likely to see the highest attrition (defined as the number of respondents who will be looking to change jobs in 2026): 

- Supply chain & procurement (82%)

- Accounting & finance (79%)

- Tech & transformation (78%)

- Sales & marketing (78%)

Top functions which can expect pay rises in 2026: 

- Accounting and finance (98%)

- Supply chain & procurement (98%)

- Sales & marketing (97%)

- Human resources & business support (97%)

The top in-demand professions for 2026 are:

- Accounting & finance: financial analysts, finance business partners, finance managers 

- Banking & financial services: fintech & quantitative specialists, risk & compliance specialists, wealth & portfolio managers 

- Human resources & business support: HR business partners, HR generalists, transformation specialists 

- Sales & marketing: Head of growth, GM, marketing automation specialist 

- Supply chain, procurement & logistics: supply & demand planners, supply chain project managers, analysts 

- Technology & transformation: cybersecurity specialists, data/AI engineers, cloud engineers

By industry:

Tech & Transformation

● Demand for talent: very high 

● In 2025: With strong interest in AI adoption, there is a sharp rise in demand for skillsets related to AI, cloud and data. New data centre projects and capacities boosted hiring volumes in infrastructure, engineering and operations. Cost pressures kept headcount growth for permanent positions to the minimum, while driving contract hiring and offshoring. 

Professionals were more open towards contracting. Hybrid work stayed the norm, but has created new challenges around employee engagement and productivity.

● In 2026: Cost pressures will see companies maintain a flexible mix of permanent and contract employees. Employers will need to show stronger local representation in their workforce.

Key trends

● Employers are moving towards a skills-first approach, with a heavier focus on practical assessments, real project experiences and proof of skills. 

● Evolving talent strategy with roles that were once offered permanently increasingly filled by contract talent, in particular for project-based and transformation-heavy work, such as in cloud, data, AI and cybersecurity. 

● While global talent will remain important, regulatory scrutiny around Employment Passes will see local talent have an advantage during the hiring process. 

Sought-after professionals

● Permanent roles: Commercial roles such as sales and presales talent, AI/machine learning (ML) and data engineers, cybersecurity specialists especially in cloud and data centre security.

● Contracting: Cloud engineers, DevOps, cybersecurity specialists, data and AI engineers.

● Nearly eight in 10 (78%) professionals are looking for a new job, and 37% are confident about job opportunities in the sector. 

● What talent value most: excellent compensation & benefits, flexible work arrangements, and job security. 

● Valuable soft skills include change management, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration in hybrid cross-functional teams, and the ability to influence and communicate with business leaders. Adaptability and learning agility are also prized, especially for contractors.

Robert Walters says:

● Talent are advised to develop adaptability across tools and platforms, deepen their domain knowledge and carve out specialisations in niche technologies.

● Companies that are looking to attract and retain talent should be competitive (move quickly on offers, competitive salaries on scarce roles), be efficient (streamline the recruitment process, build an alumni pool of contractors), and showcase clear career value (help professionals see how they can grow in a role).

Salaries 

Permanent roles are expected to see their pay rise at a stable rate, while skills such as AI, cloud and cybersecurity continue to seek high premiums. Similarly, contract roles for domains like cloud, data and cybersecurity are expected to see increases in rates. 

● More than nine in 10 (93%) of businesses are giving pay rises, while 85% of professionals are expecting a pay rise in 2026.

Future-proofing against AI

Roles with repetitive and standardised tasks, such as entry-level data reporting, low-level programming, and first-line IT support are most vulnerable to automation. Professionals need to show a strong grasp of their domain expertise, understanding of AI governance, and an ability to harness AI in daily work. In- demand skills include stakeholder management and business storytelling as well. 

Banking & financial services

● Demand for talent: very high 

● In 2025: Firms kept a closer eye on costs and hired more selectively, focusing on skills that directly supported business priorities. 2025 saw AI move from pilot to practice in the industry, particularly in risk and operations. 

On the contract front, demand reduced for manual operations while new roles in AI implementation and oversight were created. Stricter compliance requirements saw an increased demand for risk management and regulatory reporting skills. 

● In 2026: A growing preference for contract positions and an emphasis in skills and agility in terms of hiring. They will take a skills-based approach and prioritise a candidate’s abilities. Contract and project-based hiring, as well as cross- border hiring will increase, particularly for niche talents in areas such as quant, fintech, private equity and private wealth. 

With tightened regulations in areas like digital assets, environment, sustainability and governance (ESG) disclosures and anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC), there will be a surge in hiring for compliance and risk projects.

Key trends

● A rise in contract and project-based roles, offering flexibility under hiring freezes or headcount caps. However, contracts for transformation or regulatory projects will be shorter-term (six to 12 months).

● Hybrid and 'contract-to-perm' are becoming the norm. While remote work is accepted for certain roles, most roles will be hybrid. According to Robert Walters, there is an increasing trend to convert contract staff to permanent positions when headcount frees up.

Sought-after professionals

● There is consistent demand for roles that sit at the intersection of strategy, regulation and technology - fintech professionals, quantitative (quant) specialists, wealth and portfolio managers and risk and regulatory experts with strong technical depth. 

● Demand has increased for contract roles for risk and compliance specialists, internal auditors that specialise in financial services, and treasury operations specialists. 

● What talent value most: Excellent compensation and benefits, flexible work arrangements, and job security 

Soft skills including adaptability, clear communication, and the ability to influence will help talent advance in their careers. Stakeholder management and problem-solving skills will also be valued among contract roles. 

Robert Walters says:

● Schedule flexibility has become a baseline expectation to attract and retain talent. Companies can also appeal to contract talent by focusing on the strengths of flexibility and autonomy, exposure to cutting-edge projects, and offering clear career progression pathways.

Salaries

Base salaries to hold steady, with selective premiums for scarce skills and domain expertise in AI, risk and ESG. Bonuses will be linked to individual performance.

● Nine in 10 (91%) of businesses are giving pay rises, while 92% of professionals expect a pay rise in 2026. 

● Seven in 10 (69%) of professionals are looking for a new job, and 46% are confident about job opportunities in this sector. 

Future-proofing against AI

Positions that centre around repetitive and manual tasks like transaction processing, basic compliance checks and data reconciliation are vulnerable to automation. Professionals need to build data fluency, sharpen their judgement and communication, stay updated on AI-related regulations, and step into roles where human insight complements technology, Robert Walters advised.

Accounting & finance

● Demand for talent: very high 

● In 2025: AI, automation and data analytics were adopted, while businesses battled cost pressures stemming from US trade tariffs and other geopolitical shocks. Demand rose for talent with the rare combination of finance and IT skills, as well as contract roles for tech-savvy, data-fluent candidates who can improve automated processes.

Companies managed costs by outsourcing roles that were transactional in nature to countries with lower labour costs, or moved more to contractors. Back-office and repetitive accounting roles, such as accounts payable and accounts receivable (AP/AR), were offshored or filled by local contract talent.

● In 2026: AI is now common in many workflows, prompting a shift in hiring and role expectations. Technical skillsets such as data analytics will be a key feature in the hiring market. A skill-based approach will be taken in hiring talent with these in-demand skillsets. 

Contract hiring will increase for all roles. Hiring processes have lengthened, especially for contract roles that may be converted to a permanent one. Singapore continues to struggle with a shortage of talent with technical skills.

Key trends 

● Soft skills such as storytelling and communication will become more important, especially for accountants, positions in accounts payable and accounts receivable, and financial analysts (reporting). 

● Demand for hybrid talent who combine domain knowhow (e.g. audit, regulatory, financial planning and analysis) with technology, analytics or sustainability literacy.

● Hiring processes to lengthen for both permanent and contract non-transactional roles, which will continue to stay in Singapore. Companies will consider case studies, cultural assessments, up to three more rounds of interviews.

Robert Walters says:

● Professionals should also learn how to collaborate with AI in their daily work, using these tools to their advantage. Professionals in less transactional roles can hone their soft skills in data storytelling, presenting findings and collaboration with other business units. 

● Companies look at shortening/condensing interview processes, and define critical skillsets clearly. They should also look to foster a great workplace culture to better attract and retain talent. Flexible work arrangements and competitive compensation remain baseline expectations for most job seekers.

Salaries

Expected to stay flat for permanent roles, with a slight increase (2-5%) for contract roles. However, niche and strategic roles that are in demand, as well as candidates with strong technical capabilities, will see higher increases.

Future-proofing against AI

Task-heavy and transactional roles (junior accountant, account executive and AP/AR) are most prone to automation via AI, robotic process automation (RPA) and intelligent document processing. 

Job seekers should look at upskilling themselves with technical skillsets in data, Power BI, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and consider career pathways in finance analyst, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), or business partnering. 

Sought-after professionals

- Financial analysts

- Finance business partners 

- Finance managers 

● What talent value most: Excellent compensation and benefits, Job security, and Flexible work arrangements.  

Salaries 

● Almost all (98%) businesses are giving pay rises in 2025, while 86% of professionals expect a pay rise in 2026. 

● Nearly eight in 10 (79%) of professionals are looking for a new job, and 50% are confident about job opportunities in this sector. 

Human resources & business support

● Demand for talent: very high 

● In 2025: A conservative approach to hiring, with a focus on redesigning the HR function to meet new business objectives, and roles offshored to lower-cost countries. The introduction of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements in 2024 saw HR departments design frameworks to balance flexibility and productivity. 

Contract and interim hiring grew in momentum with an increased demand for experienced contract professionals in areas such as human resources information systems (HRIS) implementations, restructuring projects, compensation benchmarking and employee wellbeing.

● In 2026, businesses will expect more from HR professionals as team sizes shrink and AI integration happens. HR skillsets in business partnering and total rewards will be the key focus. HR teams will also need to drive workforce agility, implement digital HR solutions, and ensure both flexibility and performance. 

Trends 

Blended workforce models remain a key focus. Demand is expected to go up for HR transformation or fractional HR leadership roles.

Sought-after professionals 

● Experienced HR business partners who can balance strategic and operational responsibilities. There is strong demand as well for roles within total rewards, and compensation and benefits. 

● HR project managers and transformation specialists. Professionals with a proven ability to lead change initiatives will have an advantage. 

HR generalists are also in demand. 

● What talent value most: Excellent compensation and benefits, job security, and inspiring colleagues and culture.  

● Soft skills include compassion, firmness and fairness to support a workforce in transition. Professionals who can build trust, inspire teams and communicate clearly will stand out.

Robert Walters recommends: 

● Companies are encouraged to put a robust talent management programme in place. Opportunities for lateral or internal moves will help keep top talent motivated. They can also take a holistic approach to talent attraction and retention, from regular benchmarking of compensation and benefits, blended workforce strategies, to promoting transparency in areas such as hybrid work decisions and performance evaluation.

Salaries

Salaries may dip for some roles in HR, while increments will remain flat for permanent roles. Contract roles are expected to see salaries increase at usual rates (5-10%), as well as through the introduction of completion bonuses, flexible leave policies and extended benefits. Increments will depend on roles, with steady increases for HR business partners with regional exposure and stakeholder management experience.

● The vast majority (97%) of businesses are giving pay rises, while 90% of professionals expect a pay rise in 2026.

● Nearly three quarters (73%) of professionals are looking for a new job, and 47% are confident about job opportunities in this sector.

Sales & marketing

● Difficulty in hiring talent: very high 

● In 2025, lower B2C sector consumer spend saw companies flatten workplace structures, with roles at junior and senior levels being made redundant, and mid-level management employees stretched to cover operational and strategic tasks. On the contract front, roles are often offshored and have a shorter term (e.g.: from 12 months down to 6 months). AI adoption has also led to companies being able to function with smaller teams. 

In 2026: AI-skilled workers will be prioritised, while there will be reduced demand for entry-level executional roles. Senior digital specialists will be more in demand.

Trends 

● On the B2B front, companies are looking to hire revenue-generating roles to help achieve their sales targets, with a reduced focus on marketing roles. 

● Due to cost-cutting measures, companies are merging roles and responsibilities. Employers value candidates with more generalist experience and hybrid experience to cover a wider scope of responsibilities.

● Companies are moving their regional hubs and talents to lower-cost markets like Thailand or Malaysia. Compared to 2025, there will be significantly fewer senior leadership roles based in Singapore.

Robert Walters recommends: 

● Companies should have a strong employer brand. They should think about succession planning, be transparent and communicate career outlooks. identifying talents to groom for succession, offering skills-based career mobility, inventing in AI and marketing tech training budgets will help employees evolve. 

● Companies are increasingly valuing candidates with more generalist experience, and using automation to cut costs and increase productivity, hence replacing roles in content writing and basic design. Thus, professionals need to have the willingness to take on an expanded portfolio to remain relevant and in demand in today’s workplace.

● Professionals are also advised to maintain a healthy and robust network, creativity rooted in culture and emotion, and have good commercial judgement.

Sought-after professionals

● Revenue-generating roles such as sales directors, GMs, and heads of growth. Contract roles for customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation specialists, and AI-enabled specialists (performance and growth marketers, content strategists) are also required.

● What talent value most: Excellent compensation and benefits, job security, and inspiring colleagues and culture.

● Soft skills in demand include leadership experience, adaptability, ability to collaborate across functions, being a strong communicator who can articulate and drive compelling outcomes.

Salaries

Permanent roles may see salaries stagnate, with some executional roles likely to regress. For contract roles, employers may use bonus/incentive pay, stock options, and non-monetary benefits (such as flexible work and upskilling allowances) more aggressively than large fixed salary increases. Niche and talent-scarce sectors (healthcare, life sciences & diagnostics) may see better increases. 

● The large majority (97%) of businesses are giving pay rises, while 92% of professionals expect a pay rise in 2026. 

● Seventy-eight percent of professionals are looking for a new job, and 61% are confident about job opportunities in this sector.

Future-proofing against AI

Roles related to content creation, as well as contract roles that are junior or executional in nature (e.g. in content, social media, performance marketing operations, basic customer relationship management or CRM) are most at risk. 

Professionals should think about growing the pipeline, increasing conversions, and build AI skillsets such as data and analytics, and martech. As AI cannot replace relationships, professionals should maintain a healthy and robust network, creativity rooted in culture and emotion, ideally with commercial judgement.

Supply chain, procurement & logistics

● Difficulty in hiring talent: high 

● In 2025: The sector remained subdued throughout the year as businesses faced mounting challenges - Inflation, geopolitical shocks, and changing immigration controls created significant volatility. It also adopted a cautious “wait-and-see” approach. There was significant offshoring from Singapore to lower costs.

Ongoing expansion of technology and sustainability efforts defined demand for contract positions. Companies sought tech-savvy professionals but struggled to find talent in niche areas such as Blockchain implementation of AI-powered logistics optimisation. Companies also doubled down on efforts to reduce their environmental impact.

In 2026: The industry will be increasingly focused on risk management, resilience, sustainability, and digital transformation. Automation and AI are reshaping traditional roles, particularly those involving planning, inventory management, operations, and procurement. 

Trends

Demand for roles that can help businesses align operations with ESG mandates - green procurement practices, carbon reduction strategies, circular supply chain design - will be highly sought after. Contract roles will also increase as companies seek greater flexibility amidst headcount restrictions and economic uncertainty.

Sought-after professionals

● Professionals with skills in strategy, analytics, and AI model prompting will be highly sought after as companies implement and stress-test new systems. 

● Trade compliance specialists with expertise in free trade agreements (FTAs) and data analytics, as well as adaptable, technologically-proficient candidates who can effectively manage data tools are prized.

● Supply chain project managers are also in demand. 

● Contract roles related to demand planning, supply planning and supply chain transformation will be in demand. 

● What talent value most: Excellent compensation and benefits, flexible work arrangements, and job security.  

● Soft skills that are good to have include the ability to communicate and collaborate well with others, as well as strategic thinking, problem-solving and resilience to drive innovation and solve complex challenges.

Robert Walters recommends: 

● Companies are encouraged to provide upskilling opportunities, as they can help raise productivity, and help employees develop a healthier relationship and stronger adaptability to change.

● Attractive compensation packages remain necessary for specialised and strategic roles, as these talents remain in short supply. Hybrid and flexible work models will remain key as candidates value work-life balance.

Salaries

Salaries for permanent roles are expected to remain flat, with companies possibly exploring non-monetary benefits. Contract roles can expect a rise of 5-8%, though specialised roles may see increments of up to 10-15%.

● Almost all (98%) businesses are giving pay rises, while 87% of professionals expect a pay rise in 2026.

● Eight in 10 (82%) professionals are looking for a new job, and 56% are confident about job opportunities in this sector.

Future-proofing against AI

Roles heavy on repetitive supply chain work, data entry and inventory management are at risk or being replaced as more companies integrate AI. Professionals are advised to focus on picking up technologies such as data analytics and AI, as well as to improve human-centric attributes that AI cannot replace, such as emotional intelligence and business partnering skills.

Explore

Read the Robert Walters Salary Survey at https://www.robertwalters.com.sg/salarysurvey.html

*Salaries shown in the Robert Walters Salary Survey are based on an analysis of placements made across our network of offices and specialist disciplines during the course of 2025.

Now in its 27th year, the Survey is used by employers, HR managers and employees for benchmarking salary levels within their industries.

Robert Walters surveyed 361 professionals and companies in Singapore in September 2025 to get feedback on their main expectations or concerns for the year to come with regards to salaries, career changes or staff retention.

17 November 2025

New Samsung microSD P9 Express targeted at gaming, professional workflows

Samsung Electronics has launched a new microSD Express card lineup, the Samsung P9 Express. This new family is designed to deliver next-gen gaming experiences and is optimised for leading platforms, including the Nintendo Switch 2.

Source: Samsung. The Samsung P9 Express is available in two memory capacities with 512 GB being the higher capacity.
Source: Samsung. The Samsung P9 Express is available in two memory capacities with 512 GB being the higher capacity. 

Based on the PCIe interface and NVMe protocol, the SD Express technology significantly enhances data transfer performance compared to UHS-I cards, making it ideal for environments that demand high-capacity processing and fast data transmission.

The P9 Express is ideal for dedicated console gamers who regularly enjoy a wide variety of games and downloadable content (DLC), often requiring additional storage beyond what is available internally. It is available in both 256 GB and 512 GB options to meet different gaming needs.

The P9 Express also provides an ideal solution for multiple users sharing a single console, where ample capacity is required for several different game installations, helping gamers overcome limited internal storage and enjoy a wide variety of titles without compromise. When used with a dedicated SD Express interface, the P9 Express delivers sequential read speeds up to four times faster than UHS-I2), enabling creators and professionals to efficiently move large volumes of data from devices to PCs, laptops, or workstations3). 

This combination of high-speed performance and reliability makes the P9 Express an excellent choice for both immersive gaming experiences and demanding professional workflows, such as editing, rendering and managing large media files. By leveraging ultra-fast transfer speeds, Host Memory Buffer (HMB) support, and advanced Dynamic Thermal Guard (DTG) technology, originally developed for solid state drives (SSDs), the P9 Express delivers a smooth gaming experience. 

The DTG technology intelligently monitors and regulates the card’s temperature, preventing overheating and maintaining consistent performance, even during long gaming sessions. The HMB support also enhances performance by efficiently utilising the host system’s memory to accelerate data access, further improving responsiveness during gameplay. 

With maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800MBps, up to 4x faster than conventional UHS-I cards, this combination ensures stability, allowing gamers to stay fully immersed in gameplay without throttling or interruptions. 

 To protect valuable data, whether it’s saved game progress for gamers or large media files for creators and professionals, the P9 Express features six-proof durability, safeguarding against water immersion, extreme temperatures, X-ray exposure, accidental drops, dust, and pressure. These robust protections ensure data integrity and sustainable performance, giving users peace of mind during extended gaming sessions as well as demanding professional workflows. Details 

 The 256 GB and 512 GB4 models will be available for purchase at Samsung.com and through authorised retailers in Singapore from 17 November 2025. The manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRPs) for the Samsung P9 Express are S$89 for the 256 GB model and S$171 for the 512 GB model. 

 

Samsung P9 Express Specifications

Interface

PCIe Gen 3.0 x1, NVMe 1.3, SD 7.1, SDR 1045

Hardware information

Form factor

microSDXC

User capacity

256 GB / 512 GB

256,288,751,616 bytes / 512,644,612,096 bytes6

Dimensions (mm)

15 x 11 x 1.1 (L x W x T)

Weight 

Approx. 0.25 g (card only)

Performance

Speed class

Class 10, V307

Speed grade

Grade (U3)

Sequential read speed8

(SD Express) 800 MBps

(UHS-I) 90 MBps

Reliability

Temperature9

Operating: 0°C to 45°C

Non-operating: -40° C to 85° C

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) certifications

FCC (IC), CE (UKCA), VCCI, RCM

Warranty

3 years limited10

2 Based on internal testing with the P9 Express microSD card 512 GB measured using a PCIe test board, compared to UHS-I microSD cards tested with PRO Ultimate microSD card 512 GB and Samsung readers. Actual performance may vary depending on the host device, interface, usage conditions, and other factors.

3 Compatible with devices with a microSDXC card slot and microSD Express host device. Transfer speeds may be limited to UHS-I speeds depending on the host device’s compatibility.

4 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual storage capacity may be lower than the labelled capacity. Part of the storage may be used for system files and other storage control purposes.

5 SDR104: 1.8 V signalling, Frequency up to 208 MHz, up to 104 MBps, maximum current consumption 800 mA (varies by test conditions). 

6 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual usable storage capacity may vary. User capacity measured with SD Formatter 3.1 tool with the FAT file system.

7 V30 : Video Speed Class means sustained video capture rates of 30MB/s(V30) which enable to support real-time video recording to UHS Bus interface products. Transfer speeds may vary by host device.

8 Performance results are based on internal testing conditions. Actual read speeds may vary depending on user environment.

9 Stated temperature is defined as the ambient temperature. Sufficient cooling airflow or effective heat-dissipation are recommended to be operated properly on heavier workloads within device operating temperature.

10 Warranties provided herein do not extend to any use of the product for or with continuous recording instruments or any other write-intensive devices, including without limitation security cameras, surveillance systems, dashboard cameras, black box cameras, Internet protocol/network cameras, continuous recording set top box devices and continuous data logging devices like servers, dedicated devices for benchmarking test, the primary drive for certain devices and any other excessive uses.