Palace says 46.3 million Filipinos employed

MANILA, Philippines — More than 46 million Filipinos were employed from January to October this year, Malacañang said yesterday, as the government continues to deal with the economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citing the administration’s yearend report, Press Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said most of the 46.3 million Filipinos employed during the period were in the services sector.

According to the report, about 58.2 percent or 27.12 million are working in the services sector while the agriculture and industry sectors accounted for 23.2 percent or 10.75 million and 18.3 percent or 8.5 million of the employed persons, respectively.

“The employability of the Filipino worker is vital to building a strong labor force. Maintaining a high degree of employability requires the continuous upgrading of skills and knowledge,” the administration’s year-end report said.

However, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the number of employed Filipinos in October this year was estimated at 47.11 million, from 43.82 million in the same period last year.

In September 2022, there were 47.58 million employed persons, the PSA said.

The Philippines’ employment rate was estimated at 95.5 percent in October 2022, higher than the 95 percent logged in the previous month.

“The estimated employment rate this October 2022 was the highest rate recorded since January 2020 and registered to have bounced back to the pre-pandemic levels,” the PSA said.

The country’s unemployment rate also returned to pre-pandemic levels at 4.5 percent, which is equivalent to 2.24 million jobless Filipinos. The latest figure is lower than the 3.5 million unemployed reported in October last year, and the 2.5 million unemployed in September 2022.

Garafil said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has adopted and implemented modern and responsive technical and vocational training and apprenticeship programs to increase the employability of Filipino workers.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has also intensified its quality-assured technical and vocational training delivery, assessment and certification systems, she added.

Garafil noted that Marcos ordered the reattachment of TESDA to the DOLE last September for better program coordination.

The administration has also strengthened bilateral cooperation with countries hosting Filipino workers and related organizations to protect their welfare and improve working conditions, she added.