BPO sector helps raise Ilocos Norte employment

Employment in the province of Ilocos Norte rose by 35% this year from a mere 3% in 2010, thanks to the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, the Provincial Public Employment Services Office (PESO) said in a report. Although it did not give the exact figure, the Ilocos Norte PESO said hundreds of professionals in the province have already been hired in the BPO sector alone. Both local and multinational companies have put businesses in the province as a result of the local government’s efforts to promote Ilocos Norte as an investment hub. Among the BPO companies that operate in the province are Accenture and Expert Global Solutions.