The Future of Work in Aging Societies: Filipina Migrant Workers in the Asia-Pacific Value Chains

Jean Clarisse T. Author_Email: Carlos, Jocelyn O. Author_Email: Celero and Evangeline O. Author_Email: Katigbak-Montoya

No DP 2026-12, Discussion Papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies

Abstract: The increasing prevalence of aging populations in the Asia-Pacific region has led to significant changes in the demand for labor in caregiving, domestic, and healthcare sectors, particularly in economies such as Singapore, Japan, and Australia. These structural-demographic shifts have intensified the reliance on migrant workers, with Filipina women emerging as a critical labor force within the region's global value chains (GVCs). Despite their critical role in addressing labor shortages, these workers face precarious employment conditions, gendered inequalities, and limited access to social protections. The sustainability of such care labor systems raises critical concerns as aging societies continue to deepen their dependence on migrant labor, highlighting the need for robust policy interventions, mapping of care and value chains, and regional cooperation. The study investigates how global value chains (GVCs) and global care chains (GCCs) intersect in shaping the roles, experiences, and challenges of Filipina migrant workers in aging societies in the Asia-Pacific region. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, it explores policy frameworks, labor conditions, and projections to understand how domestic and regional interventions can ensure sustainable, equitable, and technology-enabled labor systems within the caregiving and healthcare sectors of Singapore, Japan, and Australia. Findings reveal that the future of work in aging societies is deeply gendered, transnational, and dependent on care labor mobility. Across the Asia-Pacific, the Philippines remains a major supplier of women workers in caregiving, healthcare, and domestic work—sectors that sustain the social and economic well-being of aging populations in Australia, Japan, and Singapore. Data from the Philippine Labor Force Survey (2023) and TESDA records (2023–2024) illustrate that women constitute an overwhelming majority of the country's care labor force, where female participation rates in caregiving training programs exceed 85 percent. These structural patterns reinforce the Philippines' comparative advantage as a provider of skilled, English-speaking, and culturally adaptable caregivers. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph.

Keywords: Care labor; Philippines; Australia; Japan; Singapore; Global Value Chains (GVCs); Global Care Chains (GCCs); bilateral and regional cooperation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:phd:dpaper:dp_2026-12

DOI: 10.62986/dp2026.12

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