Construction boom faces shortage in labor – DOLE

The shortage in labor remains a threat to the government’s so-called “Golden age of infrastructure,” which is expected to be in full swing this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

Speaking to The Manila Bulletin days before the New Year, DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) Director Dominique Tutay said the local construction industry remains challenged in keeping up with the labor demands of government and private sector

builders.

“Job in construction increased to 3.59 million in 2017 from 3.31 million in 2016,” Tutay said. “So there is a net employment gain in the construction of 158,000.”

Citing the projection of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), she said the government alone will need at least 300,000 construction workers per year for its infrastructure projects from 2018 to 2022.

In 2017, the BLE reported the labor shortage was around 120,000.

Tutay noted the shortage is worsened by the growing demand of Filipino construction workers abroad.

She said they hope the local education and training institutions would be able to increase the number of workers in the construction industry this year as the government starts building its major infrastructure projects.

She also urged students or workers in other fields to consider entering the construction industry, which is expected to remain in-demand up to 2022.

NEDA already allocated a 11-trillion budget for the 26 major infrastructure projects during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte. It said 12 to 15 of these projects are expected to start this year.