Filipino employees have emerged as the second happiest workforce in the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting a growing shift in employee priorities towards meaningful work, wellbeing, and career growth rather than salary alone, according to a new Jobstreet by SEEK report.
The Workplace Happiness Index: Philippines 2025 found that 77% of Filipino employees described themselves as either “somewhat happy” or “extremely happy” at work, placing the Philippines behind only Indonesia in regional workplace happiness rankings.
The findings suggest that workforce engagement is increasingly being shaped by purpose, recognition, and development opportunities. Around 77% of Filipino employees said they feel valued at work, while 74% described their roles as fulfilling.
The study, which surveyed over 10,500 employees across Asia-Pacific including 1,000 workers from the Philippines, also revealed changing workforce expectations around retention and career mobility. More than half of respondents, or 55%, said they frequently think about changing careers, with limited career progression emerging as a major factor influencing employee turnover intentions.Despite high workplace happiness levels, the report highlighted growing workforce wellbeing concerns. Only 41% of employees said they felt in control of their stress levels, while 38% reported feeling burnt out or extremely exhausted at work. At the same time, 41% expressed concerns about AI’s potential impact on their jobs.
Jobstreet by SEEK said the findings reflect a broader transformation in workforce expectations, with employees increasingly evaluating employers based on workplace culture, wellbeing support, meaningful work, and long-term development opportunities alongside compensation and flexibility.