Where Is Job Demand In The Philippines Today? Top Industries To Consider

Despite strong, ongoing economic activity, BusinessMirror shares that the unemployment rate of Filipinos leapt to a high figure in Q2 of 2022. From 5.7% in April, May delivered a 6% percentage of professionals in between careers. But know that it is a much more hopeful statistic than the same month in 2021, which was at 7.7%. 

But do we stop at this percentage? Certainly not. We should also take into consideration the underemployment rate. If unemployment refers to the quantity of job supply in the market, the latter describes the quality of what is available out there. From there, we can determine the job demand in the Philippines. 

In the same article, BusinessMirror illustrates that the underemployment rate is at 14.5%, a 0.5% jump from 14%. Why is this so? Alan A. Tanjusay, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), spokesperson shares that inadequate jobs, particularly during the election period, contributed to the immediate rise and crash of employment. Inadequate does not particularly refer to job quality per se, but the permanence of it. The professionals who partook in the 2022 election campaigns found themselves without employment after. On top of that, the percentage includes currently employed people who wish to work longer hours. 

But while this may leave us less hopeful, we can offer another perspective. Instead of discounting these as negative numbers, think of these as surefire points one needs to address.

As your Talent Partner, our Job Outlook 2022 report presents two objectives that need answering. First, get to know the criteria that determine job supply and demand in the country. Second, find out the trends that you can apply in your own recruitment experiences. This is so you can find the right talent to fill your positions. 

So what are these criteria? We look at job ad placements. 

There are several opportunities for job ad placements anywhere. While we used to look to traditional media, social media provided a more convenient platform for jobseekers and employers alike. Getting to know the volume of job ad usage gives us a clearer picture of which industries are searching. 

On top of that, we have a clearer idea of who the resilient industries are, and which ones are on the road to recovery. From a macro-perspective, the number of placed job ads currently add up to 862,000. We divide this by industry and specialization. 

It is unsurprising that call centers place first. Due to the exponential rise of the BPO industry, the number of available positions is cause for demand. They make up 22.4% (192k) of the total placement percentage, followed by Public Service at 18.2% (156.9k).

On the other hand, we see a rise in ad placements in the Computer/IT industry. Listed as one of the top in-demand positions, talents in this field wish to pursue their passion here. Aside from that, positions in this industry are salaried quite high. Consulting follows at 46.1%.

In terms of specialized positions, the Services industry ranks at number one with 19.3% (166.2k) for ads placed. This industry pertains to either production services or a contribution to direct human capital growth. Examples of services under this sector include (but are not limited to): construction, transport, trade, finance, and real estate.

This sector is considered to be one of the fastest-growing in the country. It contributes 60% of GDP and 57% of employment for professionals. Therefore, its growing demand is unsurprising. Computer and IT follows suit at 12.7%.

For job ad increases, Computer and IT still takes the cake at 58.7% (109.4k) as the top 1 specialization, with Healthcare following in second at 28.4% (48.5k).

If job ad placements are the bait, the job applications are the catches of the day. The job applications refer to the jobseeker submissions employers receive. A high volume of applications signals a good ad, and the job demand is indeed present. In 2021, the number of applications that came in totaled 115.3M. 

Such a whopping figure can be credited to the re-opening of the economy during that year. Businesses opened up shop and companies welcomed their constituents back onsite. These, along with the surge of new positions and jobs, make up for the rise in employment opportunities. 

In terms of specializations, the highest percentage goes to Admin/HR at 20% (23.1M). This is an effect of the center stage role this sector had to take. The Manila Times shares that Human Resources professionals had to work hand in hand with CEOs to address the ever changing office life. They were behind the policies of the WFH models we see today in our corresponding companies, and they still continue to experiment now.

Aside from that, they are the middlemen, bridging the gap between you and the company you wish to work for. They continue to act as that too, once you are in. For any concerns, they are the go-to people to run to. Services followed suit at second place with 16.7% (19.2M).

With regards to increase in job applications volume, Hotel and Restaurant comes in at 83.3% (2.4M). We credit this to the re-opening of borders and the ongoing resurgence of domestic tourism. Manufacturing comes in second at 66.6% (3.1M).

Aside from the rise in job demand, we have to talk about the industries that are healing within the workforce. 

• Computer and IT (Software)

  • While the industry has been popular way before COVID-19, the pandemic period gave it a chance to rise even higher. Due to the entire world shift to digital platforms, the demand for professionals in the industry soared. Not only that, the demand for specialized positions also equates to a higher salary.

    According to the insights from our Job Outlook Report, the call for Software Developer-related jobs grew by 83.3%. Not only that, businesses have embraced digital solutions because of the pandemic. Due to this change, 10% of sales can be credited to this.

• Education

  • While online classes proved challenging for educators and students alike, the ability to carry this on proved to be successful in the long run. Teachers can now manage both online and face-to-face sessions, which translate to opportunities for more professionals to teach from the comforts of their homes.

    And most of the opportunities (97% of ad placements) are within Entry Level and Junior Executive posts too.

• Healthcare and Medical

  • The reasons for the recovery of this industry do not need to be said. Demand for healthcare grew exponentially because of the pandemic and will continue to grow even after. This is because more people now give greater importance to personal health.

    Due to the increasing demand, job ads for nurses grew the most at 45.3%. Furthermore, the government aimed to hire an additional 10,000 healthcare workers to help heal the nation.

• Telecommunication

  • The rise in technology will never not include telecommunication. Mobile phone demand continues to increase exponentially. Positions under this sector also have high pay, and a requirement for Sales and Marketing executives in this industry are at 76%.

    Moreover, the rollout of 5G technology nationwide will highly contribute to the ongoing growth of this sector. The government sees itself allocating around $270M for infrastructures.

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