Jobs situation slightly better last year -- gov’t

The country's employment situation improved slightly last year, the government reported Tuesday, with the jobless rate dipping and fewer Filipinos said to be looking for more work. Unemployment eased to 7.3% -- equivalent to 2.9 million individuals -- in 2010 from a 7.5% year earlier, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said. The underemployment rate -- referring to those wanting more work or an extra job -- also improved to 18.7% (6.8 million Filipinos) last year from 2009’s 19.1%, the NSO added. The services sector accounted for the bulk of the 36 million Filipinos who had jobs, it said, at a little over half or 51.8%. A third of the employed were in the agriculture sector (33.2%). The majority, or 54.4%, were wage and salary workers. Another 30% were self-employed, 4% were in a family-operated business or farm, and nearly 12% worked without pay. Laborers and unskilled workers comprised the largest group at 32.3%, followed by farmers, forestry workers and fishermen (16%). The third largest (13.8%) comprised bureaucrats, officials of special interest organizations, executives, managers, proprietors and supervisors. Observers were not impressed with the latest figures, with Employers Confederation of the Philippines Director-General Vicente R. Leogardo, Jr. noting, "The [increase in] labor force is much higher than the increase in employment." University of the Philippines economist Benjamin E. Diokno said: "There was no improvement in the jobs market despite the strong [2010 economic] growth ... A lot of workers are looking for a better job, would like to work longer hours, or are looking for a paying job." Last year’s 7.3% gross domestic product expansion, said Mr. Leogardo, constituted "jobless growth." A Labor department spokesman, meanwhile, said the government was hoping to intensify its information campaigns to further trim unemployment. Director Nicon F. Fameronag cited two Labor department programs, the skills registry system and guidance councilor network, as making it easier for job hunters and employers to find each other. -- BusinessWorld