Overview of Hiring Activity
The Philippines’ online hiring activity strengthened notably in March 2026, with the foundit Insights Tracker rising 16% year-on-year — doubling the annual growth rate recorded in February. Month-on-month, hiring was broadly flat as near-term activation stabilised after earlier gains. The 6-month trend remains firmly positive at 12%, though the 3-month pace has moderated to 3%, pointing to consolidation at elevated levels rather than continued acceleration. The strong annual result is underpinned by broad-based recovery across retail, advertising, logistics, and healthcare — alongside a dramatic turnaround in education, which has reversed steep declines, and a stabilisation in BPO hiring.
All 13 industries tracked by the Index registered year-on-year growth in March 2026, with Advertising, Retail, and Logistics leading the charge.
Hiring Trends by Industry (YoY change)
For the first time, all 13 industries tracked by the Index are in positive annual territory — a significant milestone for the Philippine hiring market. Education and BPO, the sharpest laggards as recently as February, have both returned to positive ground.
In demand
Advertising, Market Research, PR, Media & Entertainment (+17%) The joint top performer. Sustained brand investment in digital and performance marketing continues to drive strong demand for creative, content, and campaign roles.
Retail (+17%) A sharp acceleration, with expanding consumer demand and omnichannel investment driving elevated hiring across stores, fulfilment operations, and customer-facing roles.
Logistics, Courier/Freight, Transportation & Shipping (+15%) E-commerce expansion and last-mile delivery demand continue to drive elevated hiring across warehousing, transport operations, and supply chain roles.
Health Care (+14%) Persistent workforce shortages continue to support broad-based hiring for clinical and support roles across public and private healthcare settings.
IT, Telecom/ISP (+11%) Continued investment in digital infrastructure, cloud systems, and cybersecurity keeps tech hiring meaningfully positive.
Hospitality (+10%) Steady tourism activity and growing domestic travel support elevated operational staffing across guest services and hospitality functions.
BFSI (+8%) Digital banking growth, risk requirements, and technology investment sustain consistent hiring across financial services.
Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+4%) Ongoing infrastructure and project execution activity underpins steady demand across construction and engineering roles.
Education (+3%) A sharp reversal from sustained negative territory, as stabilising enrolments and selective hiring for specialised roles return the sector to growth.
Consumer Goods/FMCG (+2%) Modest growth as improving consumer sentiment supports cautious but steady expansion across FMCG and related categories.
Others (+2%) Marginal but positive, reflecting stable broad-based activity across mixed and niche verticals.
Production/Manufacturing, Automotive & Ancillary (+1%) Flat to marginal gains as firms prioritise targeted replacement and operational continuity over broad headcount expansion.
BPO/ITES (broadly flat) A significant turnaround from deep negative territory, with BPO hiring stabilising as structural adjustment toward higher-skill roles moderates the pace of net decline.
Hiring Trends by Functional Area (YoY change)
9 out of 11 functional areas recorded year-on-year growth in March 2026 — a significant broadening from 6 out of 11 in February. Software and technology functions lead; sales and healthcare roles remain in negative territory.
In demand
Software, Hardware & Telecom (+14%) Continued investment in digital infrastructure, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, and enterprise technology sustains strong demand for tech talent.
Marketing & Communications (+13%) Solid growth as organisations maintain investment in performance marketing, digital campaigns, and brand functions amid positive business sentiment.
Finance & Accounts (+12%) Organisations continue to strengthen financial controls, compliance, and reporting functions amid tighter cost management and growing regulatory scrutiny.
Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (+11%) Companies continue expanding warehousing, procurement, and distribution capacity in line with e-commerce and trade flow momentum.
Customer Service (+8%) A meaningful reversal, with selective demand rising in BPO-adjacent and services-led roles — a notable shift from sustained weakness in prior months.
Others (+7%) Broad-based positive momentum across miscellaneous functional categories reflects wider market confidence.
Engineering/Production, Real Estate (+5%) Positive demand aligns with ongoing project execution and maintenance requirements across construction and infrastructure-linked roles.
Hospitality & Travel (+5%) Steady tourism and travel activity supports operational staffing across guest services and travel functions.
HR & Admin (+1%) Marginal but positive, with stable workforce management requirements sustaining baseline hiring across people and administrative functions.
Facing challenges
Health Care Roles (−1%) Marginal softness at the role level — despite industry-level growth in healthcare — suggesting demand is concentrated in specific sub-functions while some categories face targeted rationalisation.
Sales & Business Development (−10%) Persistent caution in expanding frontline commercial capacity as companies prioritise productivity and channel efficiency over headcount growth.
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) Philippines (formerly the Monster Employment Index) is a monthly benchmark of online hiring activity across the nation. By analysing millions of job postings, fit provides timely, data-led intelligence on recruitment trends across industries, occupations, and skill categories, helping organisations and talent navigate an evolving labour market.
