Filipinos most stressed in the workplace in Southeast Asia: report

Filipino employees are the most stressed in Southeast Asia, according to the latest workplace study by global analytics group Gallup.

In its State of the Global Workplace 2026 report, Gallup found that 50% of employees in the Philippines experienced significant stress the previous day—double the Southeast Asian average of 25% and well above the global average of 40%. The figure rose by three percentage points from the country's previous three-year rolling average.

Gallup also reported that 39% of Filipino employees are engaged at work, outperforming the Southeast Asian average of 25% and the global average of 20%.

Meanwhile, only 34% of Filipino employees said they were thriving in life, sitting slightly below the Southeast Asian average of 36% while matching the global average. This marks a one-percentage-point drop from the previous rolling average.

The report likewise found elevated levels of other negative emotions among Filipino workers, with 31% saying they experienced a lot of sadness the previous day, compared with the Southeast Asian average of 21% and the global average of 23%.

Additionally, 30% reported feeling lonely—significantly higher than both the Southeast Asian average of 19% and the global average of 22%—while 29% experienced a lot of anger, compared with 19% across Southeast Asia and 22% globally.

The findings point to growing concerns over the well-being of Filipino employees, despite the country maintaining one of the world's highest workplace engagement rates.

Report data came from the Gallup World Poll, with surveys conducted among a global adult population aged 15 and older using randomly selected samples. More than 5 million respondents were interviewed across more than 160 countries and areas.