The Philippines has emerged as the most active job market among Southeast Asian countries, having the highest number of employers hiring jobseekers and reducing employees in the past year, according to Jobstreet by SEEK’s latest survey, Hiring, Compensation & Benefits Report 2025.
“As the job market continues to evolve while remaining resilient, Jobstreet by SEEK stays committed to connecting candidates with hirers and delivering valuable insights like this report that empower hiring managers and assist jobseekers in preparing for better, meaningful opportunities,” said Dannah Majarocon, Managing Director of Jobstreet by SEEK in the Philippines.
The Philippines recorded an 83-percent activity level, followed by Indonesia at 75 percent, Malaysia at 74 percent, Singapore at 58 percent, and Thailand at 51 percent. Despite economic challenges and uncertainties, the leading online job portal reported that Southeast Asia has demonstrated a resilient job market with consistent employment growth.
Jobstreet by SEEK shared that 93 percent of companies in the region were able to successfully recruit at least one employee in 2024.
In the Philippines, the report showed that 94 percent of employers had hired candidates, with 87 percent employing permanent full-time employees, 49 percent bringing in permanent part-time candidates, 44 percent hiring contractual/temporary full-time employees, and 26 percent onboarding contractual/temporary part-time employees.
Notably, the Philippines and Indonesia saw significant growth when it comes to the hiring of contractual/temporary full-time employees. This trend, according to Jobstreet by SEEK, can be attributed to business expansion, increasing preference for a temporary workforce and workforce flexibility, and demand for new skill sets.
Currently, a few of the top companies that are actively hiring on the Jobstreet by SEEK platform are Procter & Gamble, Meralco, McDonald’s, Ayala Corporation, and SM.
On the other hand, workforce reduction across the region had also increased in 2024, with 34 percent of the companies doing layoffs, retrenchments, or not replacing employees who resigned.
Among the countries, the Philippines and Indonesia experienced the highest workforce reductions last year, likely due to their greater preference for flexible workforces. Meanwhile, Singapore and Thailand had the lowest workforce reduction rates.
However, Jobstreet by SEEK noted that several factors may have contributed to this trend. For instance, affected candidates may have transitioned to new roles, as national statistics agencies across these countries indicate continued employment growth and declining unemployment rates.
The hiring landscape in 2025 is expected to evolve, with 37 percent of companies in Southeast Asia planning to hire more contract or temporary employees. Moreover, the Philippines' heavy reliance on contract and temporary candidates is set to continue, with 46% of companies leading this trend in hiring for the first half of 2025.
The report was conducted among over 7,000 hirers and HR professionals across different industries in the region, between September to October 2024.
Jobstreet by SEEK is the leading employment platform in Southeast Asia, helping people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and helping organizations succeed. It is a subsidiary of SEEK, a diverse group of companies comprised of a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial, and volunteer businesses.
SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and has a strong presence across the Asia-Pacific region, including six Asian markets – Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand – through the Jobstreet and JobsDB brands. SEEK attracts over 500 million visits a year in Asia.
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