IT, manufacturing attract most applicants per vacancy — PSA
THE information and communication industry was the most competitive in terms of the ratio of job applicants to available management positions, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said, citing data from 2015-2016.
The PSA, which released the findings of its LabStat report on occupational shortages and surpluses, said the sector had 19.4 applicants per management vacancy, followed by manufacturing (15) and the electricity and gas, steam and air- conditioning industries (12.9).
The PSA considers a ratio of 10 to be the threshold for classifying an industry as having a surplus of applicants.
The lowest ratio was posted by arts, entertainment and recreation at 1.3, followed by mining and quarrying (1.7); water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities ( 2); and agriculture, forestry and fishing (2.4).
Managerial applicants made up 3.13% of jobseekers while managerial positions accounted for 2.13% of vacancies during the period. The study reported 698,683 job vacancies overall.
The top five occupations with the highest applicant- to- job ratio were managing directors and chief executives (22.3), hotel managers (14.9), information and communications technology service managers (14.3), research and development managers (11.4) and manufacturing managers (9.6).
The lowest ratios were reported for sports, recreation and cultural center managers ( 1.7), aquaculture and fisheries production managers ( 2.1), restaurant managers (2.9), education managers ( 3.1), and advertising and public relations managers (3.8).
Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, chief economist at Union Bank of the Philippines said the occupational surpluses “mirror the current leading growth sectors in the economy” like information and communications and manufacturing “which is in a resurgence.”
“The high number of applicants for managing directors and chief executives may mean more of the available labor are becoming more convincingly qualified for these types of posts, and the services-oriented ones seemingly reflect the largest current contributor sector of the Philippine economy,” Mr. Asuncion said.
“I’m expecting more of the same with the resurgence of the manufacturing sector reflecting an increase of larger and better opportunities. I would not discount many opportunities that will come up from the construction sector as well,” the economist added. —