Virtual assistant, IT, AI data entry among top job searches on Kalibrr
Most Filipinos are looking for virtual assistant, IT and software, and data entry jobs on the online recruitment platform Kalibrr.
The company's CEO, Paul Rivera, revealed the top job searches on the platform in an interview on One News' Money Talks on Sept. 8.
"On Kalibrr, the top job searches we’re seeing are virtual assistant, work-from-home jobs, jobs that are in IT and software, marketing, graphic design, data entry and AI," he said.
Freelancing and gig work are also preferred and have become a "structural part" of the labor market.
"Many Filipinos are underemployed, and they’re constantly seeking new ways to earn income, and earning income online is one of the popular ways that they can do that while also maintaining a full-time job."
A labor force survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday revealed that 3.14 million Filipinos were unemployed in July, which is 550,000 higher than the 2.59 million figure recorded in June.
Meanwhile, an estimated 6.33 million were underemployed in July.
"In my personal view, Filipinos are underpaid. The average salary of a Filipino has not moved much in the last 10 or 20 years. Most are still in the P20,000 to P30,000 a month range. If you think about that income level and you think about inflation, especially over the last three or five years, inflation has far outpaced earning potential," Rivera said.
According to Rivera, there are about 1.5 million Filipinos on freelancing platforms. "The Philippines is the number one source of virtual assistants globally; I think that's about $1.2 billion a year in exports," he told the outlet.
"It's small compared to BPO, but it's real income for these individuals. [The] Filipino freelance market, it's large, it's English native, it's competitively priced."
What's in demand?
Rivera noted that high-skill specialists are "extremely" in demand. This kind of worker is defined by the International Labor Organization as someone with advanced education, knowledge and skills to perform complicated tasks, and the ability to adapt quickly to technology changes.
The Kalibrr CEO added that low-level jobs are beginning to be taken over by AI.
"The demand for high-skilled workers has never been higher. The challenge that’s always existed is the skill level and having enough Filipinos with the right set of skills to get these opportunities," he said.
"I think the gig market is going to evolve quite rapidly as again AI begins to automate some of the lower-level tasks and jobs. The gig jobs that are going to remain are the [ones] that require a high set of skills or [the ability] to use the latest AI tools."
Rivera also told Money Talks that workers in their 30s and 40s are some of the most in demand.
"They're highly skilled, and they’ve also become fluent in AI tools. When we talk about these AI data labeling jobs, they love experienced workers. They hire experienced lawyers, experienced accountants, experienced sales marketers, and they want people with that experience, because it’s easy for an AI now to do a low-level job."
The unemployment rate was the highest it has been since December 2021, when 3.28 million Pinoys were jobless during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Department of Economy, Planning and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the government would support both workers and businesses following the latest labor market results.
"More Filipinos are participating in the labor market, which means we need to intensify efforts to attract investments, especially those that create quality jobs," he said.
