A million Filipinos lost their jobs in 2011-2012, says DOLE

(Updated 2:53 p.m.) Fresh UP graduate Gino (not his real name) had only been working for four months as a writer for an auto parts company when management broke the bad news – they were laying off workers to cut costs. “Syempre nagulat [kami]. Kasi biglaan. That day lang sinabi sa amin,” the 22-year-old said. He further said that the firm was “vague” in their explanation. The company told their staff that they have to make the cuts because the firm was “low on cash.” “Vague nga pagkasabi eh. Parang cash low,” he added. Gino is one of around a million Filipinos who lost their jobs from 2011 to 2012, according to the latest figures from the Department of Labor and Employment. According to DOLE, the number of employed Filipinos went down to 37.668 million in October 2012 from 38.55 million a year earlier, Victoria Tulad reported Thursday on GMA News' “News to Go.”

 

In an interview with GMA News Online, professor Rene Ofreneo of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations cited the absence of secure and decent jobs as the culprit. “Ang sinasabi na quality jobs... decent work of pay na under conditions of security, dignity and quality. Eh pero kung ang jobs mo ay shorter that three months lang tanggal ka na... Kung walang kasiguraduhan, hindi na quality job 'yun,” Ofreneo said in a phone interview. The former UP dean added that jobs being offered now are in the services and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors – leaving behind the more significant agriculture and industry sectors. “We have to remind them that the industry and agriculture … are the real sectors. We cannot just rely on services, overseas labor markets, and call centers. We need all the mobilization of the economy,” Ofreneo said. According to the National Economic and Development Authority's Socioeconomic Report 2011-2012, the service sector employed more than a half of the country's total employed. Meanwhile, the industry sector took less than one-sixth of the labor force, while agriculture, fishery and forestry roughly one-third. Despite the figures, Labor Communications Office director Nicon Fameronag maintained that the unemployment rate is within government's target range of 6.8 percent to 7.2 percent. 

 

As of Oct. 2012, the unemployment rate was pegged at 6.8 percent, from 6.4 percent a year earlier.

 

Latest data from the National Statistics Office showed around 2.7 million Filipinos were unemployed in October 2012 from 2.6 million year-on-year.

 

“Last week... mga mahigit sa 134,000 ang mga bakanteng trabahong nandodoon [sa Philjob.net] as against 'dun sa mga aplikante na na nag-re-register na mga 118, 000,” Fameronag noted in an interview on “News to Go.”

 

The Labor Department cited the construction, wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor, real estate, renting and business, supply of electricity, gas and water, and manufacturing industries as major sources of jobs.

 

Also, around 200 job fairs will be held starting this month until April, Fameronag noted.

 

“'Dun sa mga bagong graduate, ang aming payo—hinihimok namin kayo—na kung maaari tingnan niyo ngayon ang Philjob.net. Kung hindi kayo makakakita ng trabahong akma sa inyo, baka kakailangan mag-train pa kayo ng konti,” the Labor official said.

 

Jobstreet.com country manager Grace Colet said more Filipinos are hunting for jobs online, noting that the site attracts 100,000 visitors per day.

 

“It's a one-stop shop... If you subscribe to what we call job alert, automatic... the system will already match your qualification or your preferences to the job you posted online,” she said.

 

The latest Social Weather Stations survey noted that fewer Filipinos are optimistic about getting employed. In a Dec. 8 to 11 survey, 34 percent of the respondents said the job situation will not change, 32 percent said the number of available jobs in the year ahead will increase, and 22 percent said it will decrease. — VS/BM, GMA News