A survey has revealed that 63% of accounting and finance professionals in Singapore would like to work in roles with environmental remits, a higher proportion compared to most other developed market economies.
Conducted by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Global Talent Trends 2026 surveyed 140 respondents in Singapore and more than 11,000 respondents from 160 countries in all.
The report also revealed that more than half (54%) of Singapore respondents are drawn to roles with social impact. Taken together, both results suggest that finance professionals in Singapore seek purposeful careers.
"Skilled professionals have choices, and increasingly, those choices are being shaped by purpose as much as by pay,” says Maurice Cheong, ACCA’s head of Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. “Organisations that think social impact is a nice-to-have are likely to find that the most talented people are choosing somewhere else.”
Overall, professionals from developing economies were more inclined to work in such purposeful roles compared to their peers in developed economies.
While finance professionals seek meaningful work, a majority are also negatively weighed down by work, with 52% of Singapore respondents citing that their mental health suffers because of work pressures. This was slightly lower than the global average of 54%.
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The report finds a consistent relationship between poor wellbeing and higher flight risk, reinforcing the case for employer action that goes beyond surface-level wellness initiatives.
In addition to work-related stress, a worldwide majority of respondents also cite cost-of-living as a primary concern, with inflation impacting “real wages” topping the list for the fourth consecutive year.
Locally, less than half (46%) of finance professionals are satisfied with their current compensation, with 52% planning to ask for a pay rise in the next 12 months as the pressure of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities continues to register in the data.
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Singapore’s pay satisfaction, however, is better than the global average which stands at 36%. Millennials (59%) and Gen Zs (56%) are the most unhappy with their salaries. “Younger people can’t get on the housing market,” says a European roundtable respondent, a sentiment which presumably some Singaporeans can identify with.
Artificial intelligence (AI) also emerged as another major concern for respondents. While 81% of Singapore finance professionals are confident in their ability to learn and apply AI skills, nearly half (48%) fear that AI will affect their role. This concern has not eased as AI adoption has accelerated with more than half (51%) regularly using AI tools in their day-to-day work.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the efficacy of work-from-home arrangements, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Singapore respondents agree that organisations should mandate a set number of days in the office. This is in-line with the global average of 66%.
Meanwhile, up to 59% believe that office presence positively impact promotion prospects, with hybrid working arrangements the stated preference for the majority. This does not differ much from the rest of the world (58%).
“The data from Singapore reflects a sophisticated, internationally connected workforce that is navigating real uncertainty about technology, purpose and career progression at the same time,” says Cheong. “The employers who will retain the best people are those who take all three seriously, not just the ones that make the headlines.”
