Current Labor Statistics

Based on the preliminary results of the July 2008 Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO), the country’s labor force increased by 3.3 percent (+1.205 million) from 36.142 million in July 2007 to 37.347 million this year. The labor force participation rate (LFPR) also increased to 64.3 percent from its year ago rate of 63.6 percent.
Employed persons reached 34.597 million this July 2008, up by 3.8 percent from the 33.318 million a year ago. All regions posted employment growths, with Regions I and III registering a 7.7 percent increase each, followed by Region X and Region V at 7.3 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively.
The number of full-time workers, or those who worked 40 hours or more a week increased by 2.4 percent (+533,000) from 22.021 million in July 2007, while those who worked less than 40 hours (part-time workers) similarly expanded by 630,000 over the same period.
The number of wage and salary workers went up by 587,000, while unpaid family workers and own-account workers likewise grew by 350,000 and 341,000, respectively.
Employment in agricultural and service sectors surged by 5.3 percent (+609,000) and 4.4 percent (+730,000), respectively, while the industry sector dropped by 1.2 percent (-60,000).
National unemployment rate declined by 0.4 percentage point from 7.8 percent in July 2007 to 7.4 percent in July 2008. By region, NCR recorded the highest unemployment rate of 12.8 percent, followed by Region IV-A at 10.4 percent. The rest of the regions posted single digit unemployment rate ranging from a high of 9.4 percent in Region III to a low of 2.9 percent in Region II.
The number of underemployed persons or those persons who desire to have additional hours of work declined by 0.7 percent (-52,000) from 7.327 million in July 2007 to 7.275 million this year.
Based on reports submitted to DOLE Regional Offices, the number of establishments resorting to permanent closure/retrenchment due to economic reasons for the first semester of 2008 reached 1,030, effecting the displacement of 24,680 workers.
Based on results of the Labor Force Survey, the average daily basic pay of wage and salary workers in January 2008 stood at P 270.55. A year ago, it was estimated at P 260.31, translating to a P 10.24 increase over the period.
Meanwhile, only three (3) regional wage boards (RTWPBs) namely Region V (July 1, 2008), Region IX (July 3, 2008) and Region VI (July 6, 2008) effected varying minimum wage increases during the period. Additional P 13.00 and P 15.00 were included to the workers’ pay in Region V and Region IX, respectively. For Region VI, a P 15.00 increase was granted to all its workers in the region.
Agricultural wage rates for all types of farm workers stood at P 171.79 in 2007, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS). In real terms or based at 2000 prices, this is equivalent to P 122.18. Among farmers, sugarcane workers received the highest nominal wage of P 184.71, (P 131.37 in real terms) while corn workers were paid the least at P 153.85 (P 109.42 in real terms).
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August 2008 was registered at 160.4 index points. The year-to-year growth rate of the CPI also known as inflation rate was posted at 12.5 percent. Among regions, inflation rates were high in Caraga (22.1%), Region VIII (21.0%) and Zamboanga Peninsula (19.4%).
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or the amount of goods and services produced within the country for the second quarter of 2008 amounted to P 355.2 billion (at 1985 prices), according to the National Statistical Coordination Board’s (NSCB) estimates as of August 2008. This meant a growth of 4.6 percent from the P 339.7 billion reported a year ago. Adding the net factor income from abroad, the resulting Gross National Product (GNP) grew by 5.5 percent to P 397.8 billion from the estimated P 377.0 billion in the second quarter of 2007.
As of July 2008, the estimated Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) or the amount of goods and services produced by all regions in the country in 2007, amounted to P 1,369 billion (at 1985 constant prices), a growth of 7.2 percent from the P 1,277 billion in 2006. Among regions, MIMAROPA recorded the highest growth rate of 9.4 percent, followed by Central Visayas and Caraga at 8.7 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively.
The Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) and Private Recruitment and Placement Agencies (PRPAs) beingsupervised by the DOLE placed/assisted a total of 427,308 job applicants for the first semester of 2008. The various PESOs nationwide facilitated the employment of 401,854 workers of which 327,525 were placed in regular employment all over the country. More than half (53.9%) of the latter were placements made by PESOs in CALABARZON (69,829), Central Visayas (54,023) and Central Luzon (52,623).
For the first half of 2008, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported deployment of 640,401 Filipinos all over the world.
On the other hand, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) estimated thattotal remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) through the banking system from January to June 2008 reached an aggregate of US$ 8.241 billion. Of this amount, 80.9 percent or US$ 6.664 billion came from land-based workers, while the remaining 19.1 percent or US$ 1.578 billion were sent by sea-based workers. Almost half (49.0%) of total remittances were remitted through United States based-banks, followed by Saudi Arabia (7.9%) and Canada (7.0%).
The Philippine Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Qualification and Certification System of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) certified 158,791 workers out of the 200,980 assessed workers under various sectors during the first semester of 2008.
From the various examinations conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in49 different fields of licensures from January to September 2008, 38.8 percent or 62,996 out of the total 162,353 examinees passed the licensure examinations. Mining Engineers and Optometrists (6-year curriculum) garnered the highest passing rates of 69.7 percent and 67.3 percent, respectively.
The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) awarded graduation certificates to 8,134 trainees for the first semester of 2008, higher by 3.6 percent from the 7,851 graduated trainees during the same period last year.
Around 13,200 establishments were inspected for compliance to general labor standards (GLS) as conducted by the DOLE Regional Offices from January to June 2008. Of the said establishments, compliance rate stood at 54.9 percent, with 82.2 percent of them found complying with the minimum wage laws. Meanwhile, some 17,600 workers benefited from the plant corrections made involving around P 17.8 million in field restitutions.
By region, compliance rate to general labor standards was highest among establishments inspected in Region VII (84.3% or 963 out of 1,142), while that on minimum wage were particularly higher than the national rate in Region IX (96.4%), Region III (90.8%), Region VII (90.3%), CAR (87.7%), NCR (87.6%) and Region VIII (86.0%).
Meanwhile, 4,696 units in 1,940 establishments visited during the first semester of 2008 were inspected for technical safety standards of which only 655 units were found with violations. Corrections made on the 98 non-conforming units benefited some 3,900 workers.
Registration of workers associations for the first half of the year reached 1,042, higher by 187 from the 855 listed during the same period last year. Most of these new groups were registered in Region IX (224), Caraga (208) and Region X (162). Existing workers associations totaled 14,455 whose membership numbered around 526,000.
Newly registered Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) during the first semester of 2008 dropped to 87 from 138 compared to the same period last year. The number of total existing CBAs reached 1,437 covering about 219,000 workers nationwide. Meanwhile, 16 new Collective Negotiation Agreements (CNAs) were registered with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) bringing to 128 the existing CNAs in the government sector covering 29,787 public servants.
The National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) reported that3 strikes were declared during the first half of the year, higher compared to the lone strike declared during the same period last year. Mandays lost from these on-going strikes reached 19,000 days. All cases however were disposed during the period.
Preventive mediation cases filed from January to June 2008 reached 265, involving some 59,000 workers. Adding the pending cases at the start of the year, and a lone strike notice treated as preventive mediation cases, total cases handled reached 299 of which 242 were disposed during the period.
Meanwhile, 208 med-arbitration cases were filed during the period (January to June). It brought total cases handled to 304 due to 96 pending cases at the beginning of the year. 53 percent of them were disposed in the same period. On the other hand, the DOLE Regional Offices disposed 2,448 money claim cases with P 20.9 million in benefits awarded to 2,948 workers.
The Regional Arbitration Branches (RABs) of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) handled a total of 29,064 compulsory arbitration cases from January to June 2008. The disposition of 17,007 cases benefited 19,577 workers who were awarded with P 1.850 billion in benefits. Meanwhile, appealed cases at the NLRC Commission Proper numbered 13,116 of which 6,489 were disposed during the period. As a result, a total of P 1.236 billion in benefits was awarded to 6,756 workers during the period.
For the first half of 2008, the DOLE Regional Offices established/organized 66 Labor Management Committees/Councils (LMCs) at the provincial/municipal/city levels, industry and plant levels nationwide. Most of the workers in these LMCs (1,288 out of 1,316) came from the 63 councils/committees established/organized at the plant level. On the other hand, the DOLE conducted 673 seminars/workshops under the labor education programs spearheaded by the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) which were participated in by 14,863 workers all throughout the country.

Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES)
is located at:
3/F DOLE Bldg., Intramuros 1002, Manila, Philippines