Workers in Asia are most optimistic about new job opportunities

HR heads are pessimistic about the labour outlook for the final quarter of 2014, with 44% anticipating unwanted employee turnover, an increase of 5% over the last six months.

In turn, employees across Asia have expressed the greatest optimism in the availability and quality of employment opportunities (54.9%), compared to a global average of 49.3%.

These findings emerge from CEB's Business Executive Sentiment Index, which measures senior executives' sentiments on cost pressures and revenue growth in light of macroeconomic events.

The report found despite an increase of job seekers in Asia, a majority are passive (47%), rather than active (23.2%). India leads the highest number of active job seekers at 59.3%, followed by Indonesia at 52.2.%, and Malaysia and the Philippines at 51.6%.

Active job seekers from both Singapore and China are relatively lower at 48.1% and 44.5%, while Japan has the lowest at 31.2%.

The findings also point to the factors most likely to attract candidates - with compensation, work-life balance, and stability emerging as the top three.

Regionally, there was were some differences in opinion; job seekers in China place prime importance on compensation (69.4%) and development opportunity (37.8%) while employees in India and Southeast Asia state work-life balance is their top priority (39.1% and 44% respectively).

What do employees care about the least? Employees in China said 'location', those in India said 'innovative work', while respondents from Southeast Asia said 'recognition.'

In both the United States and United Kingdom, employees were least affected by 'vacation'.

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