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Second Talent Research

Reports, country payroll guides and working templates on hiring engineers across Asia and beyond. Every PDF on this page downloads directly.

01

Reports

Original research. Every figure is derived from a published dataset, the method is on the page, and the sources are named.

Latest · 2027 outlook

Asia's AI Hiring Outlook 2027

AI roles top the fastest-growing job lists in Singapore and India. Where AI demand is concentrated and growing, what AI and machine learning engineers are paid in Singapore, Korea and Japan, 2027 salary projections, the skills employers want and the work-pass rules for AI talent.

2027 outlook

Asia's Data Center Workforce Outlook 2027

Asia Pacific has 4.8GW of data center capacity under construction and 53% of operators struggle to hire. Where the build is, which roles are short, what they pay in Singapore and Japan, how fast salaries move into 2027, and the work-pass changes that raise the cost of imported staff.

2026 report

The State of the Startup Ecosystem in Southeast Asia 2026

Regional funding is up 137% and the number of companies raising it is down 30%. Separates the data center and AI infrastructure money from the operating-startup money, sets out what each of six hubs is actually for, and works through what the shape of this market means for hiring.

2026 report

LATAM vs CEE vs APAC for Hiring AI Engineers

Twelve markets across three regions, priced on salary plus statutory employer burden, then scored on English, time-zone overlap and supply. Employer burden reverses the LATAM and CEE ranking.

2026 report

APAC Salary Benchmark 2026

What global teams pay to hire engineers remotely from Asia: 208 rate benchmarks across 31 roles and 9 markets, against the US, UK and Western European rates they replace.

Q2 2026 edition

Asia Tech Salary Index

Engineering pay across 15 tech hubs in Asia by role and seniority, benchmarked against Silicon Valley, with a five-person team cost model and the skills employers are asking for.

02

Country Payroll Guides

What employing someone actually costs in each Asian market: statutory contributions, worked take-home examples, leave and notice rules. Each guide is checked against the arithmetic before it is published.

2026 edition

Vietnam Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Vietnam, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

Singapore Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Singapore, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

Philippines Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Philippines, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

Indonesia Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Indonesia, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

Malaysia Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Malaysia, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

Thailand Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Thailand, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

Taiwan Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Taiwan, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

Hong Kong Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in Hong Kong, with worked examples at two salary levels.

2026 edition

China Payroll, Benefits and Tax

Employer contributions, income tax, statutory leave and notice in China, with worked examples at two salary levels.

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