【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. allocation /ˌæl əˈkeɪ ʃən/ (n.) – way of dividing and giving out a part of something
Example: The company’s managers will meet to discuss the allocation of funds.
2. respectively /rɪˈspɛk tɪv li/ (adv.) – referring to the order of the items previously mentioned
Example: The price of oil and energy are expected to increase by 3% and 4%, respectively.
3. look into /lʊk ˈɪn tu/ (phrasal v.) – to study or investigate
Example: Researchers looked into the possible effects of price increases.
4. sector /ˈsɛk tər/ (n.) – an area or part of something
Example: The manufacturing sector is the leading industry in the country.
5. significant /sɪgˈnɪf ɪ kənt/ (adj.) – important or worthy of attention
Example: There is a significant difference in the salary budget last year and this year.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
Employees in Asia-Pacific (APAC) will be receiving bigger salaries next year, a survey revealed.
Compared to this year’s 6.6% increase in salaries, APAC’s wage budget will increase by 6.8% in 2016. The increase will be particularly felt in South Asian countries.
According to the report published by the professional services firm Towers Watson, companies in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India are expected to get the highest salary budget in the region. Wage allocation in these countries will increase by 12%, 11.2%, and 10.08%, respectively. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan, on the other hand, are expected to get lower increases at 4.5%, 4.4%, and 2.4%, respectively.
This latest survey on salary movement looked into various industry sectors such as financial services, technology, and pharmaceuticals. Compared to workers in other sectors, employees in the technology sector are set to receive the highest raise in salary budgets.
Moreover, the survey results show that higher increases averaging 7.7% are likely to be given to top company performers. Above-average performers will receive an estimated increase of 6.9%, while average performers are forecasted to get 6.1% higher salaries.
While salaries around APAC will generally increase, the raise may not be as significant as it appears when inflation is taken into account.
According to a new research released in October by Towers Watson, employee salary increases in most industries in the region are not as high as they seem. The wage raise is expected to be 50% lower in actual value because of increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.
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【Viewpoint Discussion】
ディスカッションテーマ
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· How do you think South Asian employees will react to having the highest projected salary increase in Asia-Pacific?
· Do you think it is a good idea to move to countries with high-paying jobs next year? Why or why not?
Discussion B
· Would you consider salary the ultimate reason for keeping a job? Why or why not?
· If you were an employer, how would you keep your employees motivated at work?
