Filipino’s actively Seek Employment as Pandemic Slows down

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ease, more Filipinos have actively looked for employment, as shown by the latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

On April 7, the PSA reported that the Philippines’ labor force increased by 2.67 million from January to February, bringing the total to roughly 48.6 million that month. The number signifies a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 63.8% compared to the 60.5% a month prior.

The LFPR is noteworthy as it displays the number of labor resources available in the economy while giving the government an idea of the number of people currently with jobs and looking for jobs. In 2019 pre-pandemic, the LFRB for a full year was reported to be at 61.28%, while in 2020 it was about 59.5%.

According to the national statistician Dennis Mapa, last February there were more on-site jobs than hybrid or remote.

“As we contained the spread of the Omicron variant and ramped up the vaccination program, we were able to revert to Alert Level 2 in the National Capital Region and other economic centers starting February 2022. This allowed more Filipinos to rejoin the labor force. We aim to shift the entire country to Alert Level 1 to enable even more Filipinos to find work,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua.

On a sector-to-sector basis, agriculture, wholesale, retail trade, accommodation services, and food services have added the most jobs per month. Meanwhile, the administrative and support services, manufacturing, and financial and insurance activities saw the most severe drops in employment.

While employment figures have improved, Chua states that schools should reopen so the country can reap the full benefits of a more open economy.

“To maximize the shift to Alert Level 1, we reiterate the need for the full and urgent resumption of face-to-face classes. This will allow one-fourth of the parents who stay at home supporting their children during online classes to work. This is crucial in light of the temporary inflationary pressures we are experiencing due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” said Chua.

Source: Rappler