While the ASEAN economic community aims to increase integration, there are still challenges to address. There is a lack of a unified ASEAN identity, which makes progress difficult. The economic agreement only allows citizens to work in 8 sectors, accounting for a small percentage of total jobs. There is also significant economic disparity between the more developed ASEAN countries and less developed ones like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, which require more support to reduce these differences.

5. v

6. 1 Data only for headquarters of companies with more than $1 billion in revenue in 2010.
2 Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute Cityscope database; McKinsey Global Institute analysis

7. v

10. IDENTITY
Given, also, the diversity of the region, there is still a
lack of ASEAN identity. Without this identity, it is hard
to make strong progress.

11. LIMITED SECTORS AVAILABLE
FOR WORK
ASEAN citizens will be allowed to work in other countries
in the group, but work will be limited to jobs in eight
sectors, including engineering, accountancy and tourism.
The eight sectors account for only 1.5 per cent of the total
jobs in the region.

12. DISPARITY
ASEAN also needs to reduce disparity by providing more
support to Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar - the least
developed economies in the group. These countries,
along with Vietnam have until 2018 to bring down tariffs.

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