Filipino workers among world's most stressed
There are also signs of stress that tend to go unnoticed until it’s too late.
Photograph courtesy of unsplash
Filipino employees remain among the most engaged in the world, but they also report some of the highest levels of workplace stress and negative emotions, according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report.
The report found that 39 percent of employees in the Philippines are engaged at work, well above the Southeast Asian average of 25 percent and the global average of 20 percent. The figure also marks a one-percentage-point increase from the country's previous three-year rolling average.
Despite high engagement, only 34 percent of Filipino workers said they are "thriving" in their overall lives, matching the global average but trailing the Southeast Asian average of 36 percent. The country's thriving rate also slipped by one percentage point from its previous rolling average.
The survey also highlighted growing concerns over employee well-being.
Half of Filipino employees said they experienced stress for much of the previous day, twice the Southeast Asian average of 25 percent and significantly higher than the global average of 40 percent. The Philippines also posted higher levels of anger, sadness and loneliness than both regional and global averages.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents reported experiencing anger, compared with 19 percent in Southeast Asia and 22 percent globally. Thirty-one percent said they felt sadness, while 30 percent experienced loneliness, both well above regional and global benchmarks.
Despite these findings, Filipino workers remained optimistic about employment opportunities.
The report found that 76 percent believe it is a good time to find a job where they live, exceeding the Southeast Asian average of 64 percent and the global average of 52 percent. The figure also improved by two percentage points from the previous three-year rolling average.
Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report is based on surveys conducted from January to December 2025 and measures employee engagement, well-being, workplace emotions and perceptions of local job markets across countries worldwide.