More than half of respondents in a survey by Cathay Financial Holding Co said they expect Lunar New Year bonuses equivalent to one to three months of their salary, according to the results released yesterday.
The company said that 55.3 percent of respondents expect to receive bonuses equivalent to one to three months of their salary, up from the 54.1 percent in a similar poll conducted last year.
This year’s survey found that 37.5 percent of respondents expect bonuses equivalent to less than one month of their salary, down from last year’s 39.2 percent.
In this year’s poll, 33.6 percent of respondents said they think the economy has worsened from six months ago, while 26.7 percent said it has improved.
The figure translates into minus-6.8 for this month’s economic optimism index on current conditions, down from last month’s 2.8.
This month’s economic optimism for the next six months also fell to minus-10.6 from zero last month, the survey found.
Cathay Financial said the monthly declines in the two indices were the steepest since the beginning of this year, despite the economy flashing “green” in October, signaling steady growth, while the composite index of monitoring indicators fell by 5 points from the previous month.
The declines in the two indices also reflect caution toward the upcoming slow season in the first quarter of next year for the electronics sector, which is a major contributor to the nation’s exports.
The optimism index on the equity market over the next six months this month fell to minus-17.4 from last month’s minus-7.7, while the index gauging risk appetite fell from minus-2 to minus-3.5 during the same period, the survey found.
The index on willingness to buy big-ticket items fell from 5.5 last month to 4.6 this month, it showed.
The government’s decision to raise the salaries of government employees by 3 percent starting next month might prompt the private sector to follow suit, Cathay Financial said.
According to the survey, 35.4 percent of respondents expect their wages to increase next year, up from 28.7 percent in a similar survey conducted last year, while 57 percent expect their wages to stay unchanged, down from 61.6 percent in the previous poll.
The online survey, conducted between Dec. 1 and Dec. 7, collected 14,747 questionnaires from clients of Cathay Life Insurance and Cathay United Bank.
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