MANILA, March 13 (PNA) — While the government admitted that unemployment continues to be a challenge, the labor department said the country has posted two percent increase in employment annually.
“Pag sinabing unemployment tinatanggap ng gobyerno ‘yan — hanggang ngayon may problema tayo kasi bagama’t nakaka-create tayo ng jobs in the earlier slide ay taun-taon may two percent increase din na pumapasok annually sa labor force,” said Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz in a press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday.
“So nagbabalanse lang siya, o steady ‘yung unemployment natin, and it continues to be a big challenge sa sinuman po ang umupo sa gobyerno,” she said.
Baldoz said that since 2010, the country has experienced employment increases — 2.8 percent in 2010, 3.2 percent in 2011, 1.1 percent in 2012, and 0.8 percent in 2013. In the first quarter of 2014, it posted 0.8 percent, she added.
The government continues to create absolute employment figures — 974,000 in 2010, 1.15 million in 2011, and 408,000 in 2012, and 317,000 in 2013. In the first quarter of this year, there are 283 net employments, she said.
Baldoz said two percent job seekers enter the labor force while two percent of job is created annually.
The labor secretary discussed the labor situation in the country after the Philippine Statistical Authority released the Labor Force Survey last Tuesday.
Baldoz said the labor department does comparisons on data each time the Labor Force Survey is released. It also conducts more in-depth analysis on the survey results on the year-on-year employment situation in the country, she added. (PNA)