SINGAPOREANS can still expect to enjoy salary increases next year, despite the economic downturn, but increments will be somewhat smaller than this year's.

Human resources consultancy Mercer Singapore yesterday released its salary projections for 2009 after polling more than 230 firms based here, including multi-national corporations, last month.

Mercer found that on average, base-salary increments will drop from 5.1 per cent this year to 4.2 per cent next year.

The biggest cuts in pay rises will come from employers in banking, property and electronics manufacturing, which have all been hit hard by the current slowdown.

'If you look at the sectors here, it is typically electronics manufacturing and property, which are not doing well, and banking and finance is also becoming conservative as a result of the global financial crisis,' said Mr Ajit Nambiar, Mercer Singapore's head of information product solutions.

The survey found that increments in the banking sector are likely to be cut from 6.1 to 4 per cent, in property, from 5.1 to 3.3 per cent and in electronics manufacturing, from 4.4 to 2.9 per cent.

'These are typically the three industries that are relatively under pressure and that is reflected in the decline of salary increases,' he said.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times