Institute for Labor Studies

What Institute for Labor Studies does

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), established in 1988 and headquartered at 3F MegaOne Building, España Blvd. cor. Mayon St., Santa Teresita, Quezon City, Metro Manila. With 15 staff, ILS produces evidence-based labor market research, policy briefs, and advisory outputs targeted at government policymakers, tripartite partners (employers, workers, government), academia, and the general public. The institute's research scope spans employment trends, worker welfare, child labor, migration, green jobs, digital platform work, occupational safety, and gig economy regulation. As the designated research arm of DOLE, ILS has contributed to national legislation including the Expanded Maternity Leave Act and ongoing advocacy for digital platform worker recognition.

ILS's core outputs are research publications spanning Working Papers, Research Briefs, Research Digests, Policy Briefs, Issue Papers, Occasional Papers, Labor Force Survey Reports, Annual Reports, and the Philippine Labor Review journal. Its advocacy portfolio includes thematic webinar series (Revive & Thrive in 2020, Resilience in Stride in 2021, Webinar Series 2022), the #TrabahongTrending youth engagement forum, and the INTERNi internship program. The institute also operates administrative digital services including Job Application Online (JAO) and Online Submission of Bids (OSB). Underlying these is a research and dissemination platform that combines direct engagement with 18 DOLE regional offices, academic partnerships with institutions such as Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Mapúa University, and a multi-channel digital presence across its website, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

ILS is entirely government-funded through the Philippine national budget allocated via DOLE, and provides all research outputs, advisory services, and publications free of charge under its public service mandate. The institute has no commercial revenue stream; its value proposition rests on its institutionalized role as DOLE's research arm, exclusive access to DOLE administrative data, and direct influence on labor policy formulation. ILS maintains ISO 9001:2015 certification under SOCOTEC, has earned 10 consecutive Commission on Audit Unqualified Opinions on its financial statements, and holds CSC PRIME-HRM recognition for human resource management.

Name

Institute for Labor Studies

Legal name

Institute for Labor Studies

Website

https://ils.dole.gov.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment, producing labor market research, policy briefs, and webinars for government policymakers, tripartite partners, academia, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Administration of Human Resource Programs (except Education, Public Health, and Veterans' Affairs Programs) (92313)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Labor & Employment Administration (Workforce Regulation & Programs) (BPAIAAAM)

Keywords

• Labor policy research
• Policy advocacy services
• Labor market analysis
• Workforce development research
• Employment policy studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Quezon City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ILS is a government agency under DOLE that operates on public funds allocated through the national budget. The institute provides research, policy advocacy, and knowledge dissemination services free of charge to the public as part of its mandate to advance labor policies promoting worker welfare.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). It produces evidence-based labor and employment research outputs including working papers, research briefs, research digests, policy briefs, issue papers, occasional papers, the Philippine Labor Review journal, and annual reports. The institute also conducts advocacy webinar series (Revive & Thrive, Resilience in Stride, Webinar Series 2022), the #TrabahongTrending youth forum, and the DOLE Research Conference to disseminate labor research and inform national labor policy formulation.

Product overview

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). ILS offers a portfolio of research publications including Working Papers, Research Briefs, Research Digests, Policy Briefs, Issue Papers, Occasional Papers, Labor Force Survey Reports, the Philippine Labor Review journal, and Annual Reports. The organization conducts advocacy events and webinar series including Revive and Thrive (2020), Resilience in Stride (2021), Webinar Series 2022, and #TrabahongTrending youth forums. ILS also provides digital services such as Job Application Online (JAO) and Online Submission of Bids (OSB), along with the INTERNi internship program. The portfolio centers on labor market research, policy analysis, and workforce development advocacy rather than commercial technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Revive & Thrive: ILS COVID-19 Webinar Series (2020) - 10-part webinar series on actions for creating a decent future of work amid and beyond COVID-19
• Resilience in Stride
• ILS Webinar Series 2022
• #TrabahongTrending
• INTERNi

Products and services

• Working Papers

Quantifiable outcome

• ILS research contributed to the passage of the Expanded Maternity Leave Act
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered primary, major and secondary.

• Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)primaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026ILS serves as the policy research and advocacy arm of DOLE. All ILS research directly informs DOLE's labor and employment policies. ILS operates under the administrative supervision of DOLE and works closely with DOLE Secretary Francis N. Tolentino on service excellence initiatives.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS collaborates with ILO on various research initiatives including employment projections modeling, skills development, green jobs, and ratification of ILO conventions (C.190 on Violence and Harassment). ILS participates in ILO Summer School programs and contributes to international labor research.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS partners with ADB on regulatory reform initiatives and technical assistance programs. ADB has supported DOLE-ILS projects including enterprise-led learning networks development and studies on underemployment in the Philippines.
• Ateneo de Manila University (AIM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS collaborates with AIM on gig economy research and telecommuting studies. AIM serves as an academic resource partner for ILS webinar series and provides expertise in economics and public policy research.
• Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS participates in PIDS-led initiatives including the annual Development Policy Research Month. PIDS hosts the SERP-P (Socio-Economic Research Portal for the Philippines) which features ILS research outputs.
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS collaborates with TESDA on skills development research, TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) initiatives, and green jobs human resource development planning.
• Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS works with PSA on labor force survey reports and statistical matters. The DOLE Inter-Agency Committee on Research and Statistical Matters (IAC-RSM) includes PSA among its member agencies.
• Mapúa UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS partnered with Mapúa University for the 2025 #TrabahongTrending forum on AI and green jobs. Mapúa was selected as academic partner due to its strong alignment with ILS research themes on technology and sustainability.
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS partnered with PUP for the 2024 #TrabahongTrending forum. PUP students from Communication Research program participated in the youth engagement event on labor market trends.
• Bureau of Local EmploymentsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS collaborates with BLE on labor market information dissemination and employment facilitation topics covered in #TrabahongTrending events.
• Bureau of Labor RelationssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS partners with BLR on labor relations research and dispute resolution topics included in advocacy webinar series.
• National Wages and Productivity CommissionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS collaborates with NWPC on wages and productivity policy research and includes NWPC in #TrabahongTrending presentations.
• SOCOTEC CertificationsecondaryOthersSOCOTEC provides ISO 9001:2015 certification services to ILS. ILS has maintained its ISO certification through successful external audits conducted by SOCOTEC.
• UN WomensecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS and UN Women joined hands for Gender and Migrant Workers Rights initiatives. Collaboration includes joint forums and research on gender mainstreaming in labor policy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): U.S. federal agency producing labor statistics and economic research. Comparable as a national government labor research body producing workforce data, labor force surveys, and policy-relevant research with similar function and dissemination model.
• International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency setting global labor standards and conducting international labor research. Comparable as a labor research and policy organization with broader international scope; ILO research conventions (C.190, green jobs) directly inform ILS's policy agenda.

Others

• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA): Philippine government agency for TVET and skills development. Related as a DOLE partner on workforce skills research and TVET initiatives; provides data and collaboration channel that supports ILS's workforce development research.
• Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI): Tokyo-based policy research think tank linked to ADB focusing on development issues in Asia-Pacific. Related as an international research partner and funder that ADB uses to commission labor policy studies in the Philippines.
• Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA): Philippine government statistical agency producing labor force surveys and employment data. Related as a data partner providing labor force statistics that ILS analyzes; member of DOLE IAC-RSM that produced 120+ researches from 2011-2015.
• Ateneo School of Government (ASoG): Philippine academic institution conducting public policy research and capacity building. Related as a knowledge partner for ILS's webinar series and research collaboration; comparable in producing Philippine policy research with academic rigor.

Direct peers

• Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS): Government policy research institute under the National Economic and Development Authority that produces socio-economic research for Philippine policymaking. Directly comparable as a state-funded think tank producing working papers, policy briefs, and policy forums with similar mandate structure to ILS.
• National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC): DOLE-attached agency that conducts wages and productivity research and policy formulation. Directly comparable as a sibling Philippine government body producing labor policy research with overlapping topics including wage policy and productivity analysis.
• UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UPSOLIR): Academic labor research institution at the University of the Philippines conducting research on labor, industrial relations, and human resource management. Directly comparable as a Philippine-based labor research organization competing for similar policy influence and research talent.

Emerging players

• Institute of Labor Economics (IZA): Private non-profit research institute focused on labor economics worldwide. Comparable as a labor-focused research organization producing working papers and policy briefs on employment, wages, and labor markets; serves a similar academic and policy audience.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ilsdoleofficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@InstituteforLaborStudies
• Facebookfacebook.com/ilsdoleofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-labor-studies
• Instagraminstagram.com/ils.official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Labor Studies