MANILA: Half of Filipino workers said they experienced stress “a lot of the day” in 2025, giving the Philippines the highest level of workplace stress in South-East Asia despite a broader regional decline, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 Report.
“The Philippines emerges as a clear outlier,” said Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao, University of the Philippines Diliman associate professor and Inquirer data scientist, in his analysis of Gallup’s report.
Philippines bucks regional trend
Gallup found that half of Filipino workers reported experiencing stress “a lot of the day” in 2025.
“This is double the regional average of 25 per cent and above the global average of 40 percent,” Panao wrote.
The latest figure also reflects a gradual increase in the Philippines, from 45 per cent in 2022 to 50 per cent in 2025.
The trend contrasts with developments elsewhere in South-East Asia.
Panao said that “the pattern is moving in the opposite direction” across the region, citing Vietnam, where the share of workers reporting daily stress fell from 35 per cent in 2021 to 13 per cent in 2025.
Thailand also recorded a decline from 41 to 25 per cent over the same period, while Malaysia, Indonesia and Laos reported stress levels ranging from 14 to 26 per cent, all below the regional average.
Panao also noted the wide gap between the Philippines and its neighbours.
“At 50 per cent, the share of Filipino workers reporting daily stress in 2025 is nearly four times Indonesia’s 14 per cent and exceeds Cambodia’s 34 per cent and Singapore’s 43 per cent,” he wrote.
While Gallup’s report found that workplace stress has generally eased in many countries as post-pandemic conditions stabilised, the Philippines also posted one of the highest employee engagement rates in South-East Asia at 39 per cent.
“This suggests engagement does not necessarily shield workers from stress and may, in some contexts, coexist with sustained pressure,” Panao said.
He added that “unlike much of South-East Asia, where stress is declining, the Philippine case continues to raise questions about working conditions and the pressures associated with sustained job intensity.”
High happiness, persistent pressure
Gallup’s findings come alongside recent research showing that Filipino workers continue to report relatively high levels of workplace satisfaction despite concerns about stress.
The latest Workplace Happiness Index: Philippines 2025 by Jobstreet by SEEK found that 77 per cent of Filipino employees described themselves as either “extremely happy” or “somewhat happy” at work, placing the Philippines second in the Asia-Pacific region behind Indonesia.
According to the report, workers increasingly associate workplace happiness with having a sense of purpose, meaningful work and opportunities for learning and career growth, alongside salary and workplace flexibility.
The same survey, however, also pointed to continuing workplace pressures.
Only 41 per cent of Filipino workers said they felt in control of their stress levels, while 38 per cent reported feeling burned out or extremely exhausted because of work. More than half, or 55 per cent said they think about changing careers somewhat or extremely often.
Workplace factors cited
The Gallup findings are likewise consistent with previous Philippine research pointing to workplace conditions as a key factor in employees’ mental well-being.
A study by researchers from the UP Open University, which surveyed 173 PhilHealth employees working remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, found that 96.32 per cent of respondents experienced moderate stress, while 49.69 per cent reported mild anxiety symptoms.
The researchers noted that “moderate perceived stress” is common among government employees due to “workload pressures and institutional expectations.”
The study also found no significant association between respondents’ age, gender, marital status or income and their reported stress and anxiety levels.
Instead, the researchers said workplace conditions and employees’ current circumstances may have a greater influence on their psychological well-being than personal background characteristics.
They identified higher job demands, technological challenges and blurred work-life boundaries as among the factors contributing to stress and anxiety during remote work arrangements, adding that employees accustomed to face-to-face interactions may also experience greater feelings of isolation while working from home.
The researchers recommended clearer communication systems, improved access to technology and stronger virtual social connections within organisations.
“Findings emphasise the importance of mental health support and structured remote work policies to address workplace stress during periods of significant organisational change,” the study concluded.
Workplace measures urged
Health experts have likewise called for stronger workplace measures to address burnout.
In a previous Department of Labour and Employment forum, clinical psychologist Dr. Carolina Uno-Rayco described burnout as a “syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
She said prolonged workplace stress can contribute to physical and mental health problems.
Psychologist Dr. Mary May Fernando, meanwhile, urged employers to identify psychosocial hazards in the workplace and consider measures such as reviewing workloads and work pace, emphasising that “the goal is to ‘fix the job,’ not just ‘fix the person.’”
For Panao, the Philippine experience stands apart from the broader regional trend.
“The Philippines emerges as a clear outlier,” he wrote, as neighbouring countries continue to report easing workplace stress while Filipino workers increasingly experience sustained daily pressure. – Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
