Farm hiring jumps while hospitality sector cuts staff in May

MANILA, Philippines — The latest employment data per sector showed mixed results in May, with most jobs lost in the hospitality sector while agriculture saw the most gains in the number of employed Filipinos.

The accommodation and food services sector shed the most jobs, losing 322,000 positions in May compared with April, according to Philippine Statistics Authority data released Monday.

Fishing and aquaculture had the second-highest drop, cutting 241,000 jobs. Over the past year, the fishing industry has seen one of the sharpest employment declines among all sectors.

Administrative and support services eliminated 135,000 jobs in May, while professional, scientific and technical activities cut 101,000 positions. Other service activities lost 74,000 jobs.

Gains

Agriculture and forestry has recorded the biggest decrease in employment over the past 12 months, with payrolls falling by 1.02 million. However, the sector rebounded in May, adding about 610,000 jobs compared with April—the largest one-month gain among all industries.

The agricultural sector accounted for 20.8% of total employment in May, while services made up 60.1% and industry 19.1%.

Construction had the second-biggest employment gain in May, adding 391,000 jobs.

Public administration, defense and compulsory social security increased payrolls by 309,000.

The education sector added 116,000 jobs, while manufacturing gained 107,000 workers.

The mixed jobs report comes as the Philippines grapples with the economic impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which has hurt the fishing and agriculture industries. Lower crop yields and smaller fishing catches have led to job losses in those sectors earlier this year.

The latest overall employment figures showed positive growth in May, increasing by 605,000 year-over-year to 48.87 million. This pushed the employment rate up slightly to 95.9% from 95.7% in the previous year. —  Gabriell Christel Galang