As employers increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations, Kimberly Chen, the country manager of the recruitment platform Bossjob, is dedicated to assisting Filipino job seekers in adapting to the changing job market. “Many are saying that Filipinos are smart, but they are not given the opportunity; we’re hoping that Bossjob will be able to provide that platform for Filipinos to have access to more jobs,” Ms. Chen said in an interview. “We want to make the job-seeking process simpler and to help everyone”, she added.
Launched in 2018, Bossjob is a chat-first, AI-powered recruitment platform. It has a presence in various countries such as the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. “For employers, we want to help them streamline the hiring process and be able to look for the right talent within a minimum of one week. It is not about how fast a platform is. It is about are there enough right talents in the Philippines”, Ms. Chen said.
She urged Filipinos to upskill to stay competitive as more companies adopt AI. “I would suggest Filipinos to upskill as early as they can. We don’t really know what’s going to happen in the future. We can see that there are technology disruptions with AI”, Ms. Chen said. “One of the job trends we are seeing right now is more demand for tech-related positions such as software engineers. We’re also expecting more demand for data analysis jobs to make informed decisions for the company’s growth. There is also high demand for green jobs and sustainability-related positions”, she added.
In a report released last year, the Asian Development Bank noted that 20% of workers in the Philippines are at a 'high risk of losing their jobs' due to automation. It emphasized the need for the country to utilize educational technology to bridge the skills gap and prevent potential job losses. In July, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan stated that the Philippine economy could see an annual boost of P2.6 trillion if local businesses implement AI-powered solutions in their operations. He also highlighted that AI would benefit sectors such as retail, logistics, manufacturing, and financial services.
According to Ms. Chen, one of the biggest challenges faced by Filipino workers is a skills gap, resulting in high unemployment figures. “When you look at the number of open job opportunities, it is high. But then, there are also many job seekers. There is a skills gap”, she said. “Anyone that wants to upskill can use our platform and the content of our partners”, she added.
Bossjob recently partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to boost the job readiness of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates. Under the partnership, Bossjob will provide customized training courses designed specifically for TESDA graduates, as well as offer employment leads and resources for career advancement.
The job platform has recently collaborated with local government units and prominent regional businesses in the Bicol region to enhance the recruitment process. According to preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country's unemployment rate rose to a one-year high of 4.7% in July, up from 3.1% the previous month, largely due to the influx of new graduates into the labor force.
This figure represents 2.38 million unemployed Filipinos in July, an increase of 755,000 from 1.62 million in June. The total Filipino labor force is estimated at approximately 50.07 million in July, which is 3.23 million more than the 46.85 million reported during the same period last year. In July, the services sector recorded the highest employment rate at 60.8%, followed by agriculture at 21.2% and industry at 18%.
