Pinoys are the happiest workers in Asia

Filipinos are the happiest and most satisfied workers compared with other Asians, according to a survey released on Wednesday by jobs portal JobStreet.com.

The "Happiness Index Report 2016" showed Filipinos have the highest job satisfaction rating among the seven Asian countries polled.

The other countries are Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

The average satisfaction rating of the 12,796 Filipino respondents is 6.25 on a 10-point scale.

Indonesia ranked second with 6.16 satisfaction rating, and Thailand third with 5.74.

But Singapore has the lowest at 5.09.

The Philippines also topped the Job Happiness Index, with 73 workers out of the 100 surveyed saying they are happy.

Relationship with colleagues, convenient work location, and company reputation were the top reasons that make Filipinos happy with their job, said JobStreet Philippines Country Manager Philip Gioca.

He associated these reasons to the "relational nature" of most Filipinos, the horrendous gridlock plaguing major thoroughfares, and the need for stability in the workplace.

It's the economy

JobStreet noted Filipinos are happy with their jobs despite the high income tax rates in the country.

With an income tax rate of 32 percent, the Philippines has second highest tax rate among countries in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"I think the tax has always been there, so it's already a given ... I think there's a lot of factor that went beyond the tax issue ... I think this is the economy, the increases in terms of GDP (gross domestic product) ... It has negated the effects of high tax bracket," Gioca noted.

"I see the economy doing well, and people recognized that it contributes to the overall feeling that we are happy," he added.

Philippine output, as measured by the GDP, grew by 7 percent in the second quarter of the year, the highest since the economy expanded by 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The JobStreet survey also revealed the main factors that make employees unhappy and leave a company are uninspiring leadership, insufficient salary, and lack of benefits and training.

"To increase job happiness, Filipinos cited higher salary at 24 percent, getting a new job at 21 percent, and getting a promotion at 8 percent," Gioca said.

In terms of jobs optimism or how satisfied employees will be in the next six months, Indonesians topped the rating at 6.58, followed by Vietnam at 6.30. The Philippines ranked third at 6.15 or still beyond the neutral level of 5 in a 10-point satisfaction rating scale.

"When we asked them what will be your view six months and beyond, [Filipino were at] 6.1—a little lower than Indonesia and Vietnam but still higher as compared to 4 other countries. So mas mataas pa rin ang kanilang outlook," Gioca said.

JobStreet Philippine Marketing Director Yoda Buyco noted the survey was done simultaneously among seven Asian countries from mid-June to mid-July. — VDS, GMA News