Filipino youth are showing strong confidence in their ability to navigate a changing workplace, with entrepreneurship, adaptability and education emerging as key strengths as artificial intelligence reshapes jobs across the region.
The findings come from the “Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce: Asia Pacific Youth Insights” report by FedEx and JA Asia Pacific, which surveyed 4,219 people aged 15 to 22 across 10 Asia-Pacific markets, including six Southeast Asian economies.
The study found that 94% of Filipino respondents believe an entrepreneurial mindset can help people succeed in any job. The figure was slightly below Indonesia and Malaysia, both at 95%, but well above the 85% Asia-Pacific average.
Confidence in innovation, initiative and independent decision-making was generally higher among Southeast Asian respondents than among those in Japan and South Korea, according to the report.
For Filipino youth, adaptability ranked as the most important skill for succeeding in the future workplace. Vietnam and Thailand also placed adaptability at the top of their lists, reflecting the importance of adjusting to technological and industry changes.
Education was another area where Filipino respondents expressed strong confidence. They attributed 94% of their career preparation and knowledge of global trade to formal education, while 95% said education had prepared them for artificial intelligence.
Still, the report noted that these figures represent young people’s perceptions of where they developed their capabilities, rather than objective measures of education quality or workplace readiness.
The findings suggest that Filipino youth recognize the need to remain flexible as technology transforms employment, while continuing to view entrepreneurship and formal education as important foundations for navigating the future of work.
