The Philippines ranked 64th out of 69 countries in the IMD World Talent Ranking 2025. Photo by Edd Gumban, The Philippine Star

The Philippines fell to near bottom in an annual global ranking of countries’ ability to attract and retain a skilled workforce, a report by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Center showed.

In the IMD’s World Talent Ranking (WTR) 2025, the Philippines went down a spot to 64th out of 69 countries, from 63rd out of 67 economies last year.

The Philippines’ talent competitiveness continued to lag behind Asia-Pacific neighbors. It ranked 13th out of 14 Asia-Pacific countries, better only than Mongolia.

Hong Kong was the highest-ranking economy in the Asia-Pacific, as it finished fourth in the IMD’s global talent index. It was followed by Singapore (7th) and Taiwan (17th).

The talent index was again dominated by European economies led by Switzerland (1st overall), Luxembourg (2nd), and Iceland (3rd).

The WTR rankings are based on three factors: appeal, investment and development, and readiness. – Justine Irish D. Tabile