Over 20,000 workers lose jobs in H1 – DOLE survey

MANILA, Philippines - Over 20,000 workers nationwide lost their jobs due to closures of commercial establishments, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported.

Data from the DOLE’s Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) showed that closures of establishments affected a total of 20,222 workers nationwide in the first half of 2013.

From January to June, BLES noted that a total of 1,137 commercial establishments closed due to various reasons.

Metro Manila accounted for the biggest number of displaced workers resulting from the closures of various commercial establishments nationwide.

A total of 706 commercial establishments  in Metro Manila filed notice of closures that affected 10,783 workers.

The top causes cited for retrenchment and closures of establishments was downsizing, which led to the displacement of more than 5,414 workers in the country.

Employers also claimed financial losses and lack of market as among factors that forced them to lay off workers or close down their commercial firms.

In the past two years, an annual average of 2,000 companies folded up due to economic difficulty. The closures resulted to displacement of over 30,000 workers each year.

The number of companies resorting to closures could still go up this year as numerous calamities hit various areas in the country.     

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz expressed confidence that the country would be able to immediately bounce back from the calamities.

With the Christmas holiday already coming, Baldoz said, they see a surge in employment that could augment the displacements in the past months.

At this time, DOLE is implementing emergency employment programs to provide alternative source of income for calamity stricken people in the Visayas and Mindanao.