Sluggish growth for MM employment

Employment growth in the National Capital Region (NCR) was sluggish in the first and second quarters as job losses in the agriculture and industry sectors offset gains in the services sector, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The preliminary result of the Labor Turnover Survey covering the first two quarters of 2019 showed positive growth in the labor turnover rate at 0.5 percent in the first quarter and continued to improve to 0.7 percent in the second quarter.

Labor turnover is the difference between the accession rate (hiring) and separation rate.

The accession rate for the first and second quarters was almost unchanged at 9.3 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.

This implied that an average of 94 workers per 1,000 employed for the two quarters were hired for business expansion or replacement of separated workers.

Separation rate, on the other hand, was steady at 8.8 percent for both quarters, indicating that 88 workers per 1,000 employed were either laid-off or quit their jobs during the first semester.

PSA said that while positive labor turnover rates were seen for the agriculture and industry sector in the first quarter at 6.3 percent and 2.4 percent in the first quarter, respectively, significant job losses were seen in these sector as seen in the negative labor turnover rates of 0.2 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively in the second quarter.

Specifically, job losses were seen in mining and quarrying; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply and manufacturing.

In the second quarter, only the services sector posted a positive labor turnover rate at one percent, faster compared with zero growth in the first quarter. Substantial employment increments were noted in other service activities, arts, entertainment and recreation.

Other gainers of the sector were the financial and insurance activities, accommodation and food service activities, real estate activities and administrative and support service activities.

On the other hand, negative labor turnover rates were recorded in transportation and storage as well as education.