The most comprehensive survey of the views of finance professionals worldwide has highlighted a range of concerns for both employers and employees in the Asia-Pacific region, from sharply increasing demands around pay to worries about the impact of AI.
One of the telling trends to emerge from ACCA’s 2026 Global Talent Trends report is that challenges around multigenerational workplaces are more pronounced across the Asia-Pacific region than anywhere else in the world.
Generational strife
Many employers across the Asia-Pacific are struggling to encourage collaboration at a time when they may be managing up to four generations simultaneously. More than half of respondents in the region say their own organisation struggles with cross-generational collaboration – much higher than the global average.
The report argues that each generation has different perspectives and priorities around their approach to work-life balance and work values, as well as contrasting communication styles and preferences.
Roundtable discussions held as part of the research found that organisations across the region are taking a range of actions to address these challenges, including leadership training, education and being mindful of excessive use of generational labels.
Pay demands
This year’s global survey is dominated by concerns over the cost of living and the impact of rising inflation in many countries on salaries – and Asia Pacific is no exception.
Nearly 40% of respondents in the region, and 45% of those from the Chinese Mainland, now say that they are dissatisfied with their salary – which should act as a warning sign for employers since reward is an important lever for retention.
This dissatisfaction is translating into demands for significant pay rises. The average minimum pay rise expected by respondents in Asia Pacific in the next 12 months, for example, has risen from 13.9% in 2025 to 15.5% this year – well above the global average of 12.5%. And on the Chinese Mainland, 65% of respondents expect to ask for a pay rise, and 71% of those (much more than the global average of 53%) expect an increase of at least 6%.
Pay, says the report, ‘remains an inherently sensitive topic’. Roundtable discussions revealed that expectations, particularly from younger generations, are often unrealistic, which is a source of tension. But there is also widespread acknowledgement that salaries, especially at entry level, could be higher.
Career development
An added challenge for employers is that opportunities for career progression are another important retention tool – but the survey shows that finance professionals in Asia Pacific are showing high levels of anxiety about their career prospects.
On the Chinese Mainland, for example, poor career development is the most frequently mentioned work-related concern.
The report notes that employers taking part in roundtable discussions have seen many candidates ‘placing greater weight on stability and long-term security when making career choices’.
In Hong Kong SAR of China, the economic downturn has intensified concerns about job security, but a reduction in the number of available high-value roles due to the relocation of some multinational companies, combined with the rise of AI in the workplace, is adding to the anxiety.
AI adoption
The survey shows that AI adoption is comparatively advanced on the Chinese Mainland; 64% of respondents say they regularly use AI technologies, compared with 52% globally and 44% in Hong Kong SAR. Even so, 55% of respondents from the Chinese Mainland and 53% from Hong Kong SAR (compared with 51% globally) have concerns about the impact of AI on their own role.
The report notes that roundtable discussions suggest that employers on the Chinese Mainland ‘broadly see AI first as an efficiency tool rather than a substitute for whole roles’. Many believe that talent who understand both business and technology are becoming more valuable.
This is reinforced by the roundtable discussion held in Hong Kong SAR, which noted that significant investment was being made in digital upskilling. But participants had also seen a clear trend in headcount reduction, with repetitive tasks being offshored or automated.
Employers on the Chinese Mainland, along with the US, lead the world in providing AI upskilling opportunities for finance professionals.
‘The messages is clear,’ concludes the report. ‘Employees must continuously upskill and diversify capabilities instead of relying on jobs that may soon disappear.’ Organisations, meanwhile, ‘need to allay fears about the future impacts of technology through clear communication and reassurance about career pathways in an AI shaped workplace’.
More information
See the global coverage in AB and other regional deep dives of the research:
Africa
Europe, North America, Caribbean
Ireland
Middle East and South Asia
UK
