ASEAN startups face talent crunch despite tech layoffs: study

Early-stage companies compete with enterprises to hire growing pool of job seekers

Engineers were the most sought-after workers in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, according to a study conducted by Singapore-based staffing platform Glints and Monk's Hill Ventures. © AFP/Jiji

TSUBASA SURUGA, Nikkei staff writer

April 4, 2023 14:11 JST

SINGAPORE -- Southeast Asian startups are facing a shortage of tech talent despite recent mass layoffs by large tech companies as traditional businesses increase hiring, according to a study released Tuesday, and also are less able to offer competitive pay.

About 86% of founders said they will expand their head count this year, with engineers and data scientists remaining high in demand, earning on average 38% more than nontech roles like sales and marketing, according to Singapore-based staffing platform Glints.