Asia's bankers and traders could get this year's biggest bonus increases

If you work in financial services, it seems your bonus for this year may be bigger than for last year. And if you work in Hong Kong or Singapore, you may be particularly in luck.

Options Group, the international search firm, thinks this year's bonus increases globally will be the biggest for 10 years, led by bonuses in Asia.

As the chart below shows, Options Group is forecasting that Asian bonuses will be up 9.3%, compared to an increase of just 4.3% in EMEA and 6.7% in the US.

Options Group's forecasts are based on the verdicts of its local recruitment consultants, plus forecasts from the firm's intelligence unit and SEC filings. Other, more US-centric bonus forecasts, from Johnson Group and the New York State Comptroller, have also been optimistic for this year. 

Last year, Options Group forecast that Asian bonuses would only rise by 4%, with the biggest increase in cash equities and a decline of 6% in commodities sales and trading. 

 This year, it thinks Asian commodities bonuses will rise by nearly 2% compared to last year, with the biggest increases in equity derivatives and prime finance. 

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