Straits Times 25 Mar 10;
SINGAPORE continues to be the most desirable posting for Asian expats.
According to the latest annual survey from human resource consultancy ECA International, the Republic outscored 253 locations to come out top for the 11th year running.
Its high-quality infrastructure and health facilities, combined with low health risks, air pollution and crime rates and its cosmopolitan population made it an easy place for Asian expats to live in, said Mr Lee Quane, regional director for Asia of ECA International.
Only four other Asian cities made it to the top 15 preferred global localities. Japanese cities Kobe, Yokohama and Tokyo came in third, fourth and fifth respectively, with Sydney (Australia) coming in second.
Hong Kong was promoted to eighth position, from the 11th place it occupied the last time the survey was conducted.
This was largely because of a slight improvement in its already good transportation and communications infrastructure.
Australia's Canberra and Melbourne were ranked 7th and 8th, while New Zealand's Wellington shared 10th place with Vancouver in Canada.
Asians chose Copenhagen (Denmark), Dublin (Ireland), Antwerp and Brussels (both Belgium) and Bern (Switzerland) as their top European picks.
Of the Asian cities covered by the survey, Singapore was the easiest Asian location for non-Asian expats to adapt to.
The survey is designed to help companies set expat allowances, which compensate staff for adapting to life in their new locations.
Singapore top city to live in for Asian expats
Ranking makes city appealing to global firms wishing to bring in staff: ECA
Teh Shi Ning, Business Times 25 Mar 10;
SINGAPORE has emerged as the top place for Asian expatriates to live in for an 11th year running, according to global human resource consultancy ECA International.
High quality infrastructure, alongside low health risks, air pollution and crime rates, and a cosmopolitan population make Singapore the best city for Asian expats to relocate to, ECA says. Singapore came in first ahead of Sydney and Kobe, both of which retained their rankings from 2009 too.
Its annual location ratings report is intended to help global companies decide on 'hardship allowances' for expatriates, by analysing the quality of life for over 400 locations. The assessments take into account the home and destination countries of employees, which explains why while Singapore is top of the chart for Asian expats, it ranks 55th on the list for Western European ones. On that list, European cities dominate the top spots, but Singapore still ranks above Hong Kong, Tokyo and the major Chinese cities.
Lee Quane, Asia regional director of ECA, told BT that hardship allowances could come up to 20 per cent of an assignee's base salary in less favourable locations.
Singapore's emerging top on this survey thus bodes well for its cost attractiveness to global companies who wish to bring in staff from abroad. But these allowances are just one component of an expatriate's overall compensation package.
In an ECA report comparing cities' cost of living last December, Singapore climbed three spots to be the ninth most expensive Asian city for expatriates from all over.
Even then, Mr Quane said: 'If you look at the wider picture, of the major cities in Asia - Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul - the cost to a company of sending an employee from elsewhere in Asia to Singapore would probably still be lowest.'
For instance, neither Hong Kong nor Singapore's quality of living would warrant a 'hardship allowance' recommendation from ECA, but the cost of living in Hong Kong is still higher than in Singapore. This makes the overall compensation package for an Asian assignee sent here more cost competitive, he said.
Singapore offers best living environment for Asian expats: survey
Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 24 Mar 10;
SINGAPORE: Singapore continues to offer the best living environment for Asian expatriates. This is according to the latest Location Ratings for expatriate living conditions published by ECA International.
This is the 11th year in a row that Singapore has held pole position.
ECA International's Location Ratings system is used to assist international HR departments to establish expatriate allowances which compensate staff for the difficulties of adapting to living in their assignment location.
The ratings are based on an analysis of living standards for more than 400 locations globally. Factors such as climate, health services, housing and utilities, and infrastructure are taken into account.
Regional director (Asia) of ECA International, Lee Quane, said: "Singapore's high quality infrastructure and health facilities, combined with low health risks, air pollution, crime rates and a cosmopolitan population help make the city an easy place for Asian expats to live in."
The Japanese cities of Kobe, Yokohama and Tokyo, along with Hong Kong, are the other Asian locations that are ranked top 15.
- CNA/ir
