Filipinos are now less willing to work abroad, findings of the Decoding Global Talent report of online job portal JobStreet showed.
The job report has seen a downward trend where only 54 percent of Filipinos said they still consider working overseas at this time compared with 75 percent in 2018.
However, the number is still higher than the current global average, which is 50 percent, the report said.
“The pandemic has also impacted the willingness of jobseekers to work abroad,” said Philip Gioca, JobStreet Philippines country manager.
For those willing to venture to an overseas employment, the report noted Filipino skilled workers are the ones who are more likely to find jobs abroad.
The report said 22 out of 23 surveyed job roles are open to leaving the Philippines, with engineering and technical jobs topping the list, followed by digitization and automation, information technology and technology, art and creatives, and media and information.
In terms of the countries where Filipinos prefer to work in, Canada and Australia remained the top two choices while New Zealand enters the third spot.
Filipino candidates have also started considering working in other Asian countries as Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates joined the top 10 list.
“With the pandemic, we have seen that more Asian countries have grown in popularity among jobseekers likely due to better management of COVID-19,” Gioca said.
But with the new normal opening flexible job opportunities, the report showed 49 percent of Filipinos said they are willing to work for a remote employer, meaning for those located outside the Philippines.
Countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States are the top three countries preferred for remote employment.
The Philippine proportion, however, is lower than the 57 percent average posted globally.
“ Remote international work is also an opportunity for jobseekers to get hired by the highest bidder without leaving their families,” Jobstreet said.
