ASEAN firms shift to selective hiring and targeted AI investments amid economic uncertainty

The Great Restructuring survey, conducted by Reeracoen Group and Rakuten Insight in June 2026, sampled 3,630 respondents in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Results indicate that between one-third and nearly half of businesses are adopting a selective hiring approach, whereas only 7-16% are actively growing headcount, signalling a shift toward precision talent acquisition and capability building.

Singapore tops the list for AI and technology investment intent, while Indonesia leads in overall business confidence and career mobility. Malaysia emphasizes domestic market focus, the Philippines balances solid confidence with cautious consumer spending, Thailand shows the highest investment growth, and Vietnam records the greatest consumer optimism and AI-driven career change interest. Parallel consumer data reveal a strong move toward income diversification, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines, and an emerging role for AI in career decisions in Vietnam. Executives from Reeracoen and Rakuten Insight stress that these trends reflect ASEAN’s adaptive response to economic pressures and underline the need for strategic investment in people and technology.