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New regional findings highlight market-specific implications for Japanese companies planning ASEAN expansion and Japanese professionals across the region
TOKYO, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Japanese companies continue looking to Southeast Asia for growth and Japanese professionals increasingly consider careers across the region, new data shows that a one-size-fits-all strategy cannot be applied across the ASEAN region.
Kosuke Soejima, Managing Director, Reeracoen Japan
The Great Restructuring: ASEAN Consumer & Business Pulse Survey 2026, published by Reeracoen Group, a leading Asia-based recruitment and HR solutions group, in partnership with Rakuten Insight, surveyed 3,630 consumers and business leaders across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in June 2026. The findings show leadership across several of the region’s key workforce and business indicators split between different markets: Vietnam leads on consumer optimism, Indonesia on business confidence and career mobility, Thailand on business investment growth, and Singapore on AI and technology investment — with no single market leading on every measure.
- Indonesia: Highest business confidence at 66% and highest career mobility, with 29% considering a career change.
- Malaysia: Strongest domestic-market orientation, with 75% of businesses identifying their home market as their top growth opportunity.
- The Philippines: Strong business confidence at 65%, highlighting continued business optimism and opportunities in a resilient market.
- Singapore: Leads the six markets in AI and technology investment intent at 33%.
- Thailand: Leads the six markets in business investment growth, with 28% of businesses increasing investment.
- Vietnam: Leads on consumer optimism at 48%, while 16% of businesses are expanding headcount and 46% report improving revenue.
Hiring strategies evolve across ASEAN
Across the six markets, businesses are taking a more targeted approach to workforce growth, with selective hiring cited by 32% to 47% of businesses, while 7% to 16% are actively expanding headcount. Vietnam records the highest hiring-expansion rate at 16%.
Beyond hiring, operational efficiency is the most cited growth opportunity across all six markets, ranging from 35% to 43%, while technology and AI rank among the top three at 24% to 33%.
For Japanese businesses operating or expanding across ASEAN, these differences highlight opportunities across markets while reinforcing the importance of market-specific hiring strategies and a strong understanding of local talent needs.
Technology and income priorities shape talent decisions
In Vietnam, 39% of consumers considering a career change cite AI and automation as their primary motivator, ahead of income growth and work-life balance. It is the only market surveyed where AI and automation rank first among career-change drivers. AI also features prominently among career-change motivations in Singapore at 32% and Indonesia at 30%.
Income diversification is another notable trend, with 71% of consumers in Indonesia and 70% in the Philippines actively seeking additional income—the leading financial response to economic pressure in both markets.
Kosuke Soejima, Managing Director, Reeracoen Japan, said:
“For Japanese companies expanding into Southeast Asia, the biggest risk is treating ASEAN as a single market. This data shows six markets evolving in very different ways—on hiring, on investment, on what workers want from an employer. Understanding those differences market by market is exactly the kind of intelligence we aim to bring to our clients and candidates as they build careers and businesses across the region.”
Cheryl Ng, Country Director, Singapore, Rakuten Insight, said:
“The findings highlight how differently consumers and businesses are responding across ASEAN. For Japanese companies and professionals looking at the region, understanding these market-level differences is increasingly important when assessing opportunities, workforce needs and future growth.”
For the full six-market findings, including country-by-country profiles and a Leadership Playbook of eight strategic priorities for regional expansion, download The Great Restructuring: ASEAN Consumer & Business Pulse Survey 2026.
- Download the report at:
About Reeracoen Group
Reeracoen is a leading Asia-based recruitment and HR solutions group, connecting talent with forward-thinking organisations across the region. With 9 offices across 6 major Asian markets, Reeracoen combines deep local market expertise with cross-border recruitment capabilities to support sustainable business growth.
Beyond recruitment, Reeracoen provides market intelligence, workforce insights, salary research, and employer advisory services, helping organisations make informed talent and business decisions in an evolving regional economy.
Reeracoen’s commitment to service excellence has been recognised through multiple industry awards, including Best Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency (2025, 2026), Client Service Excellence Award (2026), Best International Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency (2024), and Best Executive Recruitment Agency (2024).
For more information, visit https://www.reeracoen.co.jp/.
About Rakuten Insight Singapore
Rakuten Insight Singapore is the Southeast Asia hub of Rakuten Insight, Inc., a wholly-owned online market research subsidiary of Rakuten Group, Inc. Established in 1997 as AIP Corporation and integrated into the Rakuten Group in 2014, Rakuten Insight operates a research panel focused on 12 major Asian markets, with a panel network spanning 60 countries and regions.
With offices in 11 countries and regions, the company provides market research for more than 500 leading companies worldwide. Rakuten Insight Singapore serves as a regional hub providing multi-lingual and multi-functional operational support for clients across Southeast Asia.
For more information, visit https://insight.rakuten.com.
Cheryl Ng, Country Director, Singapore, Rakuten Insight