Higher unemployment threatens RP due to US slowdown – ILO
The worst is yet to come for Filipino workers.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) yesterday warned of higher unemployment in the
ILO director general Juan Somavia said economic turbulence due to credit market turmoil and rising oil prices may likely push the unemployment level in countries worldwide, including the
“The new projection for 2008 is in contrast to 2007, a watershed year in which sound global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth led to the stabilization of global labor market with more people in work and fewer unemployed,” Somavia said.
The ILO called on governments in
In the ILO’s annual Global Employment Trends (GET) report, Somavia said the projection for 2008 is “one of contrast and uncertainty.”
“While global growth is annually producing millions of new jobs, unemployment remains unacceptably high and may go to levels not seen before this year,” Somavia disclosed.
“Though more people are in work than ever before, this does not mean that these jobs are decent. Too many people, if not unemployed, remain among the ranks of the working poor, the vulnerable and the discouraged,” he added.
ILO said that for the past years, the
But ILO said the development in
While the unemployment rates in the region are comparably low in recent years, ILO said the unemployment trend among women continues to rise.
ILO noted that labor productivity growth in the region in the past year was also stagnant and much lower than in other Asian regions.
The
Strong global demand
But in terms of the global demand for Filipino workers, a labor official gave assurance that it would remain strong despite fears of a
Many foreign countries, particularly developed countries, are still approaching the
“Foreign employers come to us because they are short of skilled workers and their nationals refuse to handle the dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs,” Baldoz told local reporters.
Even in the
Middle Eastern countries also need thousands of foreign workers due to heightened economic activity there, she added.
Nurses, architects, entertainers, engineers and draftsmen would also be in demand, she added.
Last year, a total of 1.073 million Filipinos went overseas for work compared to 1.062 million that went overseas in 2006, Baldoz said.
The government is confident that more than a million workers will go abroad this year as well.
Banking on tourism
Philippine tourism, meanwhile, would continue to boom despite the
“For the past three years, the country’s tourism industry has been facing those challenges and year 2008 is no different. We have managed those challenges and the proof of that is the high international arrivals,” Durano said.
He further pointed out that US comprises only 18 percent of the total international arrivals and any slowdown would be compensated by the European and other markets.
“The worst-case scenario is zero growth for the
He said the DOT remains firm in its target of 300,000 additional foreign tourists and $1 billion more earnings for the local tourism industry in year 2008. – Mayen Jaymalin
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