ECOP’s President blames “timing” for the rise of jobless Filipinos
The growing number of jobless individuals in the Philippines can be blamed on “timing” and not on the latest trend, according to Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr.
In an interview with BusinessMirror, Ortiz-Luis said that the higher unemployment count is just because of the season, with the economy playing a big part in it.
The ECOP chief added that fresh graduates are having difficulty entering the workforce because they’re not yet the priority.
“They cannot easily be addressed because there are still many workers that had to temporarily be laid off. The new entrants can’t be accommodated until these are recalled, and there remain gaps in the workforce,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President George Barcelon said that the latest employment figures point out the difficulties faced by businesses post-pandemic.
“Actually, the increase is minimal. But having said that, in the business sector, the problems still exist—the supply chain, it impacts the raw materials,” stated Barcelon.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the number of jobless Filipinos reached 2.99 million in June 2022, higher than May’s 2.93 million.
Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) is currently at 64.8%, lower than the 65.1% LFPR last June 2021.
