Jobstreet study shows remote working boosts job applications in the regions

WITH the shift to remote working, more applicants are eyeing jobs in the provinces, particularly Cebu, Iloilo and Davao, according to a study by Jobstreet.com Philippines Inc.

Jobstreet Philippines Country Manager Philip Gioca said during a virtual event on Friday that location used to be one of the primary considerations of the job applicants—even more important than other work benefits—but this has changed since the pandemic.

“But because we are all subjected to working from home [WFH], many of us are actually looking at flexible working arrangements,” he said, noting that 96 percent of the Filipino respondents want to continue working remotely.

The survey revealed that Filipinos want to have a combination of fixed and flexible work hours. Nearly half said they prefer five days of remote working per week.

The work-from-home setups have sparked more interest in job applications in Cebu, Iloilo and Davao, Gioca said.

“A lot of companies are now offering work-from-home setups or flexible working arrangements and therefore, job openings are starting to pick up in these key cities,” he revealed.

Jobstreet noted that candidate activities in Cebu increased by 20 percent to 383,000 last year from 319,000 in 2019. This further increased by 13 percent to 433,600 this year.

In Iloilo, candidate activities jumped by 50 percent to 22,700 in 2020 from 15,100 yearon-year; a surge of 44 percent to 32,700 was recorded for 2021.

While candidate activities in Davao dipped by 5 percent to 104,300 in 2020, this was followed by a 56-percent increase this year to 162,800.

WFH setups, on the other hand, also allow individuals to work in the provinces while they are still connected to their business in Metro Manila, Gioca added.

On Friday, Jobstreet launched its microsites for Cebu, Iloilo and Davao, making thousands of jobs available for browsing.

“We’ve also observed that candidates from major provinces have increased their activities in terms of platform web site visits, which is why we really targeted to promote local employment and provide them valuable support in their career through their own dialect,” Gioca said.

The job opportunities available in said microsites come from several industries, including information technology-enabled services, business-process outsourcing, health care/medical, food and beverage, construction and education.

Jobstreet is also teaming up with selected regional offices of the Labor department in launching virtual career fair from May 1-3.