Government aims to create quality jobs to reduce unemployment

The government is focused on generating highly remunerative jobs to address the country’s unemployment woes, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said.

A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey put unemployment among adults in the country at 27 percent, equivalent to an estimated 12.4 million Filipinos, during the last quarter of 2014. The survey was conducted from November 27 to December 1 last year among 1,800 respondents.

Coloma noted that the SWS survey differs from the government’s Labor Force Survey, which follows the standards set by the United Nations International Labor Organization.

He said that according to the Labor Force Survey, conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment, unemployment rate dropped by 6 percent in October last year.

“Kaya ang pagharap natin dito ay ‘yung mga kongkretong programa ng pamahalaan hinggil sa economic development at employment generation,” he said, citing the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s programs that aim to give the country’s workforce more employable skills.

“Puspusan din ang pagsisikap na maibaba ang bilang ng mga walang trabaho. At kahanay diyan ang mga programa on poverty reduction and social protection,” Coloma added. (PCOO News Release)