by Lee Su Shyan , ASSISTANT MONEY EDITOR

EVEN Singapore's highest-paid bosses felt the pinch last year with take-home pay among the million-dollar earners down sharply, a trend set to continue.

Only 15 per cent of 60 blue-chip firms surveyed by Ernst & Young paid their chief executives packages of over $5 million - down from 23 per cent in 2007.

'Companies appeared to be taking a more moderate view towards executive compensation,' said Ms Julia Smith, its performance and reward leader here.

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