Second Talent Research
Reports, country payroll guides and working templates on hiring engineers across Asia and beyond. Every PDF on this page downloads directly.
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Reports
Original research. Every figure is derived from a published dataset, the method is on the page, and the sources are named.
Latest · 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 centre 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.
2026 edition
Asia Tech Salary Index
Engineering pay across eight Asian markets by role and seniority, benchmarked against Silicon Valley, with a five-person team cost model and the skills employers are asking for.
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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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Templates and Worksheets
Working documents you can edit and use as they are.
Template
IT Staffing Plan Template
Scope headcount, roles and budget for a staffing engagement before you go to market.
Template
IT Staffing RFP Template
A request for proposal you can send to vendors without writing one from scratch.
Template
IT Staffing Agreement Template
The contract terms a staffing agreement normally covers, laid out as a starting draft.
Worksheet
AI-Native Skills Assessment Template
Score candidates on the AI tooling they actually use day to day, not the tools they list.
Worksheet
IT Staffing Checklist Worksheet
The steps between deciding to hire and the engineer starting, in order.
Latest Resources
Hiring Cost Guides
Hiring Platform Guides
Blogs
Salary Insights
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