About 68 percent of Filipino workers are expected to require training to meet evolving skills demand by 2030, higher than 59 percent globally, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said in its The Future of Jobs Report 2025.
The report published Wednesday added, however, only 38 percent of workers have completed training, compared with 50 percent globally.
“Skills gap continues to be the most significant barrier to business transformation today,” the WEF said in a statement along with the report.
It reported that two-thirds of employers in the country identify skills gaps as a barrier over the next half decade.
Given such, employers operating in the Philippines anticipate that almost three in 10 workers will be upskilled in their current roles, in line with the global average of 29 percent, the report said.
With new skills, 27 percent of Filipino workers are expected to be redeployed to new roles, far above 19 percent globally, the report added.
About 57 percent of respondents agree that flexibility on hiring and firing practices is a top public policy needed to address jobs demand, higher than 44 percent globally.
The provision of reskilling and upskilling was the next top policy concern, according to 52 percent of local respondents, in line with the global proportion, the report said.
Other policies that were cited included funding for reskilling and upskilling, as well as improvements to public education systems.
The Future of Jobs Report 2025 is the fifth edition of this series, offering comprehensive insights into the trends shaping global employment. Drawing on data from over 1,000 companies in 22 industries and 55 economies. The profiles of Philippine respondents were not indicated. Globally, 78 million new job opportunities are expected by 2030, but urgent upskilling is needed, the report said.
Skills gap in PH
The WEF also reported that 67 percent of organizations surveyed in the Philippines cited skills gaps in the labor market, slightly higher than 63 percent globally.
About 49 percent identified lack of adequate data and technical infrastructure, higher than the 39 percent cited by global respondents.
“Broadening digital access (is) expected to shape labor-market dynamics in the Philippines by 2030,” the report added.
Just like the rest of the world, artificial intelligence (AI) and information processing are the key technology trends that drive business in the Philippines, based on the report.
With this, the roles most selected by organizations surveyed in the Philippines include data analysts and scientists, as well as AI and machine learning specialists.
The global labor force churn is expected to hit 22 percent over a five-year period, but the attrition locally is only 16 percent, it said.
Shifting trends
The WEF noted shifting global trends in technology, economy, demographics and the green transition are projected to generate 170 million new jobs by 2030, while displacing 92 million others.
It said some of the fastest growing jobs were found in technology, data and AI, but growth is also expected for core economy roles, including delivery drivers, care roles, educators and farmworkers.
The report cited the fastest growing skills by 2030 include technological skills alongside human skills, such as cognitive skills and collaboration.
