MANILA, Philippines — Fewer Filipinos want to work abroad, but local professionals are eager to work remotely for foreign employers, a new study from an online employment company revealed.
In a 2024 report conducted by Jobstreet with Boston Consulting Group and The Network, 80% of Filipinos expressed a desire to work abroad, higher than the Southeast Asian average of 68%.
However, Jobstreet noted that this percentage has decreased compared to previous years. In 2018, 96% of Filipinos wanted to work abroad, but by 2020, this number had decreased to 91%.
“Financial motives and career progression rank highly as their reasons to relocate. They are also motivated by the search for better social systems and healthcare when thinking of working overseas,” Jobstreet said.
The report also found that Filipinos who wish to work abroad come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from manual laborers to skilled professionals.
On top of wanting to work abroad, the survey revealed that Filipinos want to work remotely for foreign employers.
“Filipino professionals are now more eager for remote international work than ever (84%), way above the Southeast Asia and global averages,” Jobstreet said.
In the study, the global average is 66%.
The Philippines is now the 56th preferred work destination for those wishing to work outside their own country, 11 spots higher than its ranking in 2020. However, this ranking is still low compared to other Southeast Asian countries.
For comparison, Singapore is the eighth most preferred work destination in the world.
When respondents were asked why the Philippines was chosen as their top work destination, most pointed to the country’s welcoming culture and inclusiveness, cost of living, and quality of job opportunities.
According to Jobstreet, the data was taken from a total of 150,000 respondents from 188 countries.
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