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The Reeracoen Group has published a recruitment guide highlighting the unique workforce and business indicators across six ASEAN markets. Conducted in partnership with Rakuten Insight, the Great Restructuring: ASEAN Consumer & Business Pulse Survey 2026 surveyed 3,630 consumers and business leaders in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The findings reveal that each market has its own strengths and priorities, with no single market leading on every measure. Vietnam leads in consumer optimism, Indonesia in business confidence and career mobility, Thailand in business investment growth, and Singapore in AI and technology investment. Indonesia also has the highest business confidence and career mobility, with 29% of respondents considering a career change.

Malaysia shows the strongest domestic-market orientation, with 75% of businesses identifying their home market as their top growth opportunity. Singapore leads in AI and technology investment intent, while Thailand leads in business investment growth. Vietnam has the highest hiring-expansion rate at 16%, and income diversification is a notable trend, with 71% of consumers in Indonesia and 70% in the Philippines actively seeking additional income.

The guide underscores the importance of market-specific hiring strategies and a deep understanding of local talent needs for Japanese companies operating or expanding across ASEAN.

Brief written by urgent.news from Vietnam Investment Review's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.