Most Filipinos said they were fairly paid, but only six in 10 workers said they were satisfied with their current pay, according to a survey conducted by Jobstreet by SEEK.
Jobstreet by SEEK’s latest Salary Pulse Report, which surveyed over a thousand employees in the Philippines, found that 59 percent of workers were satisfied with their salaries, while 45 percent said their earnings still fall below their actual cost-of-living needs.
This came despite 80 percent of workers saying they felt fairly or well paid in their current jobs, suggesting a gap between perceived pay fairness and actual salary satisfaction.
Jobstreet by SEEK said that among Filipino employees who consider their salary fair, only 44 percent were satisfied with their compensation.
‘This indicates that workers evaluate salary not merely against industry benchmarks, but against their workload, how well they feel rewarded, and how it sustains their lifestyle,’ the employment platform said.
‘Employees’ expectations, as the report suggests, are likewise shaped by how strongly they believe their contribution is valued, and by how well their salary supports what matters to them outside of work,’ it added.
The report noted that salary satisfaction remains a motivation for Filipinos to stay in their jobs.
According to the survey, Filipino workers who are happy with their pay are 2.2 times more likely to feel motivated and put in extra effort at work, but unhappy workers are 2.9 times more likely to actively look for a new job.
Furthermore, 28 percent of surveyed employees in the Philippines said they would consider relocating to another city or country for a 10-percent salary increase, Jobstreet by SEEK said.
But the same respondents said they are less likely to sacrifice a positive workplace environment for a toxic culture just to get a 10-percent pay hike.
‘The gap between fair pay and salary satisfaction shows that compensation is only one part of the employee experience,’ Dannah Majarocon, managing director of Jobstreet by SEEK in the Philippines, said.
‘Employers need to look beyond salary benchmarks and pair competitive pay with meaningful recognition, clear career pathways and open conversations about growth to build engaged, future-ready teams,’ Majarocon said.
By industry, technology workers reported the highest level of salary satisfaction at 54 percent, followed by construction workers at 50 percent. Nearly half of workers in both sectors had received salary increases over the past year. Industrial workers, meanwhile, posted the lowest pay satisfaction, with 58 percent saying their earnings fell short of their cost-of-living needs.
Millennials reported the lowest level of salary satisfaction at 54 percent, compared with 61 percent among Gen Z and 60 percent among Gen X. Even among millennials who were satisfied with their pay, 54 percent said their salaries still fell short of their cost-of-living needs.