Accounting tops most in-demand jobs in PH this year

Applicants look at the list of jobs at a job fair. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines — Accounting was the most in-demand job specialization in the country so far this year, representing about 12 percent of total listings on one of the Philippines’ leading employment platforms.

Data from the Jobstreet by Seek released on Wednesday showed that demand for accounting professionals continues to outpace supply. This even as interest in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics remains strong.

In its latest job market report, the company said accounting roles comprised 11.81 percent of all job advertisements from since January. This overtook traditional leaders like information technology and sales.

The company said this shift comes amid a recovering economy and an anticipated surge in business activities requiring financial expertise.

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Trailing behind accounting are roles in information and communication technology. These accounted for 11.14 percent of job listings. Meanwhile, sales roles made up 10.1 percent.

Hiring for these positions have consistently been among the most sought after by employers. This indicates ongoing demand for digital infrastructure and business development talent.

Other high-ranking fields include call center and customer service, which accounted for 9.98 percent of job postings.

This was followed by manufacturing, transport and logistics at 8.12 percent; administration and office support at 6.43 percent; and retail and consumer products at 5.4 percent.

Jobstreet also noted significant growth in job postings in sales and marketing-related fields.

Marketing and communications, for instance, now comprises 5.09 percent of listings, sharing the spot with human resources and recruitment.

Engineering rounded out the top ten with 4.74 percent.

Faster GDP growth bodes well for job market

These increases are tied to improving macroeconomic indicators.

Jobstreet cited the Philippine Statistics Authority projection that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) would grow faster from 5.4 percent in the first quarter to 6.2 percent in the second quarter.

This, the company said, will bolster business confidence and fuel hiring activity.

The surge in job postings also comes just as thousands of fresh graduates enter the workforce.

Jobstreet said several entry-level roles across key industries are currently being offered, presenting a crucial opportunity for new professionals.

The platform now averages 130,000 job posts per month. It credited its Free Lite Ads feature for the bump in listings.

The feature allows employers to post unlimited job openings free for 30 days, while giving jobseekers greater access to openings across more industries.

“We’re seeing strong interest across the board- from employers needing skilled talent to jobseekers hoping to find a role that matches their background,” Jobstreet by SEEK Head of Marketing Joey Yusingco said in a statement.