President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has pledged to improve the quality of jobs in the Philippines following the drop in the country’s unemployment rate in April. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent in April 2023, down from 5.7 percent in the same month last year, due to the further reopening of the economy. The PSA report estimated that the number of unemployed Filipinos in April 2023 was 2.26 million, down from 2.76 million in the previous year. The report also states that employment was up to 95.5 percent in April 2023 from 94.3 percent in the same month last year. Additionally, the number of employed Filipinos rose to 48.06 million, an increase of 5.32 million from 45.63 million in April 2022.
President Marcos Jr. said in a statement that the drop in unemployment represents a big opportunity to create more quality jobs for Filipinos. He also pledged to continue strengthening the labor force by using technology to benefit the labor market. This commitment to improving job quality is essential in reducing underemployment and raising living standards for Filipinos.
The country’s Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan suggested that the government should capitalize on digital technologies to foster innovation, upgrade services, and effectively respond to the needs of the workforce. He also said that to ensure the continuation of this trend, the government is committed to the unimpeded implementation of economic liberalization reforms and other crucial legislation.
To further create employment opportunities, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will hold an overseas job fair in celebration of the 125th Independence Day on June 12. The job fair will offer 11,750 openings for skilled workers and professionals, including nurses, welders, construction laborers, baristas, warehouse supervisors, food servers, chefs, bakers, accountants, and seafarers. Qualified applicants will be posted in Guam, Maldives, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Bahrain, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Czech Republic, Macao, and the United States.
The job fair is an excellent opportunity for skilled Filipinos to find employment in other countries where they can earn higher wages and gain valuable work experience. This can also help strengthen the country’s economy by boosting remittances from overseas workers.
In conclusion, the drop in the unemployment rate in the Philippines is an encouraging development, but there is still a need for more quality jobs to be created for Filipinos. The government’s commitment to using technology to benefit the labor market is a positive step, but long-term solutions are needed to address the root causes of unemployment and underemployment. The overseas job fair is a great opportunity for skilled Filipinos to find employment abroad, but more efforts are needed to ensure that quality jobs are available in the country to help raise living standards for all Filipinos.
