Employment in large firms up 3.2% in Q3

De spi t e re s igna t ions , separations and company expansions, employment in large enterprises grew 3.2 percent.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority ( PSA), the services sector posted the highest employment growth at 3.54 percent among all sectors.

“It is significant to note that labor turnover was highest, up to 8.49 percent, in administrative and support service activities,” the PSA said in its report covering the third quarter of 2015.

Other service activities, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities posted positive turnover rates of 3.19 percent, 2.83 percent and 2.72 percent, respectively.

The attached agency of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) reported that the accession or new hire rate of 11.07 percent surpassed the separation rate of 7.87 percent.

“This implies that 111 workers per 1,000 employed were added to the enterprise workforce due to either expansion or replacement while 79 workers per 1,000 employed were laid off or quit their jobs.” it said.

Eleven industry groups recorded higher accession rates due to replacement than expansion.

This was most apparent in the 10.42- percent increase in the administrative and the 8.46- hike in the support service activities; wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles ( 9.50 percent vs 3.06 percent); mining and quarrying ( 5.8 percent vs 2.57 percent); accommodation and food service activities ( 4.93 percent vs 4.61 percent); human health and social work activities ( 4.11 percent vs 2.25 percent); and real estate activities ( 3.5 percent vs 3.31 percent).

On the other hand, seven industry groups registered higher accession rates due to expansion of business activities than replacement of workers. These were construction other service activities transportation and storage information and communication; water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities; professional, scientific and technical activities; and agriculture, forestry and fishing.

“The construction industry posted the highest separation rate at 16.04 percent,” the PSA pointed out.

This was comprised mostly of employer-initiated separations or layoffs at 12.65 percent.

Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles posted the second highest separation rate at 11.18 percent, of which 7.42 percent was employer initiated. Administrative and support service activities placed third at 10.39 percent.