The latest Workplace Happiness Index of Jobstreet has found that Filipinos remain among the happiest workers in the Asia Pacific region in 2025, even as many continue to grapple with stress, burnout, and anxiety over career progression.
The study found that 77 percent of Filipino workers described themselves as either “extremely happy” or “somewhat happy” at work, placing the Philippines second in the region behind Indonesia’s 82 percent.
Forty-four percent of Filipinos surveyed said they were somewhat happy while 33 percent described themselves as extremely happy. Only 2 percent said they were extremely unhappy, while 3 percent said they were somewhat unhappy.
Workers in the Visayas emerged as the happiest at 82 percent, followed by the National Capital Region at 77 percent. Luzon and Mindanao both posted 76 percent.
Jobstreet, however, said that “salary remained the top factor to attract and retain employees, purpose at work.” Employees who reported being happy at work were also nearly twice as likely to feel motivated to “go above and beyond” for their employees, according to the report.
The survey also pointed to signs of mounting strain in workplaces. Only 31 percent of Filipino workers said they felt in control of their stress levels, while 38 percent reported feeling burned out or extremely exhausted because of work. 55 percent said they think about changing careers somewhat or extremely often.
Limited career progression opportunities emerged as one of the biggest factors driving workers to consider leaving their jobs, while concerns over artificial intelligence are also beginning to shape workplace sentiment, as some 41 percent of Filipino workers said they were worried about AI’s potential impact on their jobs as companies increasingly adopt automation and generative AI tools.
It may be a surprise for some to see the survey results that put Filipinos among the happiest workers in the Asia Pacific region in 2025, but if our compatriots have found it within themselves to be happy despite all the challenges they regularly face, it should be considered an achievement. However, knowing the reality of labor conditions in the country, where long hours and low pay are normal, it is incumbent upon employers, employees, and government to work together to create better conditions so that the country’s workers who can afford to be happy even when times are tough can maybe find even more happiness.
The ability to be happy is an inherent advantage of people who have proven their resilience. If the Filipino workforce can be given even more reasons to be happy, our country has the potential to be among the happiest in the world.*
