TUMAAS ang employment rate ng Pilipinas sa pinakamataas na antas sa ating kasaysayan. Ngunit itoβy hindi dahil nakalikha tayo ng maraming trabaho. Ano ang sanhi ng phenomenon na ito?
Tumaas ang employment rate ng bansa sa 96.4 porsiyento noong Nobyembre 2023, ang pinakamataas na antas sa ating kasaysayan. Ito ay mas mataas kaysa 95.8 porsiyento noong Oktubre 2023 at 95.5 porsiyento noong Nobyembre 2022. (Table 1) Dahilan dito, bumaba ang numero ng Pilipinong walang Β trabaho sa 1.834 milyon, ang pinakamababang antas nito simula noong 1982 .
Ngunit nabawasan ang nalikhang trabaho ng 70 libo noong Nobyembre 2022 hanggang Nobyembre 2023. (Table 2) Nabawasan din ang labor force ng 413 libo dahil sa pagtaas ng Pilipinong nakahanap ng trabaho sa labas ng bansa. (Table 3) Bakit?
Sa kolum na ito noong Β Disyembre 12, 2023, nabanggit natin ang dahilan ng pagdausdos ng nalikhang trabahoβang pagbagsak ng exports of goods at patuloy na mataas na interest rates na siyang nagpapabagal ng investments.
Mula Enero hanggang Nobyembre, patuloy pa rin ang matumal na exports of goods na bumagsak nang 8.4 porsiyento dahil sa mahina pa rin ng demand ng mga trading partners ng bansa. Ang pinakamalaking pagbagsak ay naranasan ng electronics na bumaba nang $3.5 bilyon, machinery and transport equipment na lumagapak nang $913 milyon at fruits and vegetables na humina nang $346 milyon.
Matumal din ang investments dahil sa patuloy na mataas na interest rates na nagpabagal sa pamumuhunan hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo. Sa Pilipinas, bumagsak nang 1.6 porsiyento ang gross capital formation noong ikatlong quarter. Bumagal din ang inflows ng ng foreign direct investments (FDIs) na nakaranas ng 13.8 porsiyento na pagbagsak mula $6.82 bilyon noong unang siyam buwan ng 2022 sa $5.88 bilyon noong parehong period noong 2023.
Sa kolum ding ito noong Β Disyembre 12, 2023, nabaggit din natin na dumarami na ang nagbukas na work opportunities ng ating mga kababayan sa labas ng bansaΒ Β dahil sa pagbubukas ulit ng mga bansang nagsara noong panahon ng pandemya. Ngayong 2023, 2.5 milyon ang nabigyan ng certificate of overseas employment. Mas malaki ito kaysa doble sa 1.2 milyon na lumuwas noong 2022.
Ang ibig sabihin nito ay:
- Mas mataas pa rin ang pasahod ng mga OFWs kaya sila patuloy sa pangingibang-bansa para magtrabaho. Malayo pa rin ang productivity levels ng ating mga industriya kaya di nila kayang pasahurin ang mga Pilipino nang kasintaas ng mga trabahong tumatanggap sa kanila sa labas ng bansa.
- Maganda ang kalidad ang labor force ng Pilipinas kaya sila ay napipili ng overseas employers kaysa ibang nationalities. Ayon sa Commission on Filipinos Overseas, may 12 million Pilipinong naninirahan at nagtatrabaho sa labas ng bansa at nagpapadala ng $36 bilyon nagkakahalaga ng 9 porsiyento ng GDP base sa datos noong 2022. Ito ay lumalago nang 5.1 porsiyento bawat taon sa nakaraang limang taon. Ang Pilipinas ay ikaapat na bansang nagpapadala ng manggagawa sa labas ng bansa. Tayo ay naungusan lang ng India, China at Mexico.
Ngunit maraming investments ang naghihintay lang ng paghawi ng dilim bago muling magbukas ng mga bagong planta. Β Noong unang siyam na buwan ng 2023, nag-approba ang economic zones at Board of Investments (BOI) ng P881.08 bilyon na bagong investment pledges, 190.5 porsiyento na paglago kumpara noong unang siyam na buwan ng 2022. Β Kung ito ang pagbabasehan, sasabayan ng mga investments na ito ang pagbaba ng interest rates na maaaring maganap sa 2024.
Table 1. EMPLOYMENT RATE, % | Change | Change | |||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 v. 2021 | 2023 v. 2022 | |
January | 91.3% | 93.6% | 95.2% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
February | 91.2% | 93.6% | 95.2% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
March | 92.9% | 94.2% | 95.3% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
April | 91.3% | 94.3% | 95.5% | 3.0% | 1.2% |
May | 92.3% | 94.0% | 95.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
June | 92.3% | 94.0% | 95.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
July | 93.1% | 94.8% | 95.1% | 1.7% | 0.4% |
August | 91.9% | 94.7% | 95.2% | 2.8% | 0.5% |
September | 91.1% | 95.0% | 95.5% | 3.9% | 0.5% |
October | 92.6% | 95.5% | 95.8% | 2.9% | 0.4% |
November | 93.5% | 95.8% | 96.4% | 2.3% | 0.6% |
Source: PSA |
Table 2. EMPLOYED PERSONS, Millions | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β CHANGE | Β CHANGE | ||||||
2021 | 2022 | Β 2023 | Β | 2022 v. 2021 | 2023 v. 2022 | |||
January | 41.25 | 43.02 | Β Β Β Β 47.35 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.77 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 4.33 | |||
February | 43.15 | 45.48 | Β Β Β Β 48.80 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.33 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 3.32 | |||
March | 45.33 | 46.98 | Β Β Β Β 48.58 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.64 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.61 | |||
April | 43.27 | 45.63 | Β Β Β Β 48.06 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.36 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.43 | |||
May | 44.72 | 46.08 | Β Β Β Β 48.26 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.37 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.18 | |||
June | 45.08 | 46.59 | Β Β Β Β 48.84 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.52 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.25 | |||
July | 41.67 | 47.39 | Β Β Β Β 44.63 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 5.72 | –Β Β Β Β Β 2.76 | |||
August | 44.23 | 47.87 | Β Β Β Β 48.07 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 3.64 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 0.20 | |||
September | 43.59 | 47.58 | Β Β Β Β 47.67 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 3.99 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 0.09 | |||
October | 43.83 | 47.11 | Β Β Β Β 47.80 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 3.28 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 0.69 | |||
November | 45.48 | 49.71 | Β Β Β Β 49.64 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 4.23 | –Β Β Β Β Β 0.07 | |||
SOURCE: PSA | ||||||||
TABLE 3. LABOR FORCE, Millions | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β CHANGE |
CHANGE |
||||||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Β | 2023 v. 2022 | 2023 v. 2022 | |||
January | 45.20 | 45.94 | Β Β Β Β 49.73 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 0.74 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 3.79 | |||
February | 47.34 | 48.61 | Β Β Β Β 51.26 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.27 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.65 | |||
March | 48.77 | 49.85 | Β Β Β Β 51.03 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.08 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.18 | |||
April | 47.41 | 48.39 | Β Β Β Β 50.30 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 0.98 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.91 | |||
May | 48.45 | 49.01 | Β Β Β Β 50.43 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 0.56 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.42 | |||
June | 48.84 | 49.58 | Β Β Β Β 51.17 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 0.74 | Β Β Β Β Β Β 1.59 | |||
July | 44.74 | 49.99 | Β Β Β Β 46.91 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 5.25 | Β Β Β -3.09 | |||
August | 48.13 | 50.55 | Β Β Β Β 50.29 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.42 | Β -0.26 | |||
September | 47.85 | 50.08 | Β Β Β Β 49.93 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.23 | Β -0.15 | |||
October | 47.33 | 49.35 | Β Β Β Β 49.89 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 2.02 | Β Β Β 0.543 | |||
November | 48.64 | 51.88 | Β Β Β Β 51.47 | Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β 3.25 | Β Β Β -0.413 | |||
Source: PSA | ||||||||