Employers throughout Asia Pacific continue to keep a tight rein on the purse strings in 2009, as salary increases remain at low levels, according to an Asia Pacific Salary Increase Survey conducted by Hewitt Associates (NYSE:HEW), a global human resources consulting and outsourcing firm. This trend looks likely to continue in 2010 as base salaries are projected to rise only slightly in most Asia Pacific markets.

The Hewitt 2009/2010 salary increase survey sees a dramatic decline in salary increase in the two prominent markets of China & India for the first time over the last five years. The 2009 actual salary increase rate went down by 4 percent and 8 percent respectively, which is also the lowest salary increases recorded since 2005.
This year, there is no Asian market which experienced a double digit salary increase. India had the highest percentage pay rise in the region with the average overall salary increase at 6.3 percent. Indonesia ranks second, with the average overall salary increase at 6 percent, followed by China (4.5 percent) and the Philippines (4.3 percent).

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Tags: economic downturn, recession, compensation, asia pacific, talent

Categories: Research | The Economy

During the past year, executive compensation packages have come under increased scrutiny at organizations across the country. While many companies are making efforts to cut back on the overall cost of executive compensation, offering perquisites that ensure the effectiveness of their employees is gaining momentum.

The newly released Executive Compensation 2009/2010 survey found supplemental medical coverage is offered to 32.7 percent of Chief Executive Officers, nationally. Supplemental coverage is also provided to Chief Financial Officers and Chief Operating Officers at a rate of 23.5 and 20.6 percent, respectively.

"Ensuring the health of a company's top executives is of growing importance at organizations across the country," said Amy Kaminski, manager of marketing programs for Compdata Surveys, the nation's leading compensation and benefits data provider. "Executives are spending more time hard at work, both in and out of the office, and the stress they encounter can take its toll on their health and by extension, their productivity."

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Tags: executives, compensation, benefits

Categories: News | Research

(From PRWEB) –- WorldatWork, a global human resources association, announces its Top 10 List of Major Metro Areas for Getting a Raise in 2009. The list is based on the results of the annual WorldatWork Salary Budget Survey, the largest survey of its kind with more than 2,600 respondents representing 16 million U.S. employees.

Average Raise/% of companies giving raises
Washington, D.C.: 2.30%/77%
Tampa: 2.20%/79%
Boston: 2.20%/77%
Philadelphia: 2.10%/77%
Denver: 2.10%/76%
Chicago: 2.10%/76%
Cincinnati: 2.10%/75%
Dallas: 2.10%/75%
New York: 2.10%/75%
Baltimore: 2.10%/75%

Washington, D.C. tops the list of U.S. major metro areas with a planned salary increase of 2.3 percent for middle performers in 2009. “The Washington, D.C. labor market is dynamic and competitive when it comes to attracting, motivating and retaining talent,” said Paul Rowson, managing director of the WorldatWork Washington Office and Conference Center. “Many organizations have chosen to locate here because of opportunities to do business with the federal government. With a projected 350,000 federal sector job openings in 2010, it’s easy to see why the Washington, D.C. labor market will continue to offer competitive compensation to keep top talent.”

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Tags: compensation, research, competition, public sector

Categories: News