Current Labor Statistics

Based on the preliminary results of the January 2008 Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO), the country’s labor force slightly declined by 0.07 percent (-25,000) from 36.395 million in January 2007 to 36.370 million the following year. The labor force participation rate (LFPR) also diminished by 1.4 percentage points from its year ago rate of 64.8 percent.
Employed persons reached 33.695 million in January 2008, rising by a mere 0.45 percent from the 33.545 million a year ago. Among regions, Caraga posted the highest increase in employment at 8.6 percent followed by Region XI and Region I at 5.8 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively.
The number of full-time workers, or those who worked 40 hours or more a week increased by 1.6 percent (+329,000) from 21.077 million in January 2007 to 21.406 million in January 2008, while those who worked less than 40 hours (part-time workers) decreased by 1.4 percent (-168,000).
The number of self-employed workers went up by 6.7 percent (+685,000) followed by the unpaid family workers (6.3% or +242,000). On the other hand, employers and wage and salaried workers declined by 18.3 percent (-288,000) and 2.7 percent (-490,000), respectively.
Employment in agricultural and industry sector increased by 1.3 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively (+156,000 and + 4,000) while the service sector decreased by 0.1 percent (-12,000).
National unemployment rate declined by 0.4 percentage point from 7.8 percent in January 2007 to 7.4 percent in January 2008. By region, NCR recorded the highest unemployment rate of 12.5 percent followed by Region IV-A at 9.4 percent and Region III at 9.3 percent.
The number of underemployed persons also declined by 11.7 percent (-844,000) from 7.214 million in January 2007 to 6.370 million in January 2008.
Only three (3) regions namely CAR (January 7, 2008), Region IX (January 26, 2008) and ARMM (January 4, 2008) effected minimum wage increases. Additional P 4.00 – P 10.00 were included to the workers’ pay in CAR and Region IX while the P 10.00 COLA of workers in ARMM were incorporated into their basic pay.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February 2008 registered at 147.3 index points. The year-to-year growth rate of the CPI (inflation rate) for the same month was posted at 5.4 percent. Among regions, inflation rates were high in Region IX (8.6%), Region III and Caraga (7.6%) and ARMM (7.4%).
The purchasing power of the peso remained at P 0.68 for the first two months of the year. The lowest value was registered in ARMM (P 0.63).
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or the amount of goods and services produced within the country for 2007 amounted to P 1,370 billion at 1985 prices, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board’s (NSCB) advanced estimates as of January 2008. This meant a growth of 7.3 percent from the P 1,276 billion reported a year ago. Adding the net factor income from abroad, the resulting Gross National Product (GNP) grew by 7.8 percent from the estimated P 1,400 billion in 2006.
As of third quarter 2007, net inward investment registered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) summed up to US$ 5.592 billion. Of these, portfolio investment comprised about 65.9 percent (US$ 3.685 billion) while direct investments accounted for the remaining 34.1 percent (US$ 1.907 billion).
The Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) and Private Recruitment and Placement Agencies (PRPAs) beingsupervised by the DOLE placed/assisted a total of 784,529 job applicants in 2007. The former facilitated the employment of 734,854 workers of which 623,461 were placed in regular employment all over the country.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that the remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for January 2008 reached US$ 1.264 billion. Of this amount, 86.6 percent or US$ 1.094 billion came from land-based workers while the remaining 13.4 percent or US$ 0.170 billion were sent by sea-based workers. Almost half (48.4%) of the remittances were sent through United Stated based-banks followed by Canada (7.2%) and Saudi Arabia (7.0%).
For 2007, the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) awarded certificates to 13,660 trainees, higher by 13.1 percent from the 12,077 graduated trainees in 2006.
For 2007, about 24,600 establishments were inspected for general labor standards (GLS) compliance by the DOLE Regional Offices. Of the said establishments, compliance rate stood at 56.2 percent, while 80.8 percent of them complied with the minimum wage payment. Some 28,000 workers were benefited from plant corrections involving around P 38.9 million in field restitutions.
Compliance rates both in GLS and minimum wage payment was highest among establishments inspected (3,369) in Central Luzon, 81.4 percent and 91.5 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, 12,607 units were inspected for technical safety standards in 4,698 establishments visited in the same period of which 1,989 were found with violations. Corrections made on 684 non-conforming units benefited some 26,700 workers.
A total of 1,449 seminars/workshops under the various welfare programs of DOLE were conducted to 62,385 participants nationwide in 2007. On the other hand, 190 skills training programs conducted by the DOLE Regional Offices benefited 8,259 participants.
Newly registered unions for 2007 totaled 260, lower by 29.9 percent from the 371 registrants in 2006, the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) reports. Most of the new unions were from NCR (110 out of 260). Less 4 cancelled/dissolved unions, existing unions numbered 17,021 with 1.918 million members nationwide.
Registration of workers associations in 2007 was higher by 46 from 1,603 in 2006. Most of these new groups were listed in Caraga (312 out of 1,649). Existing workers associations as of end 2007 tataled 13,413 whose membership numbered 487,000.
The newly registered Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) decreased from 536 in 2006 to 318 in 2007. The number of existing CBAs reached 1,542 with 218,000 workers covered around the country. Meanwhile, 63 new Collective Negotiation Agreements (CNAs) were registered with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) bringing to 123 the existing CNAs in the government sector covering 28,825 public servants.
For 2007, there were only 6 strikes declared, according to the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), 6 cases less than the 12 declared in 2006. Mandays lost from on-going strikes were likewise lower in the reference period (12,000) than the previous year (44,000). All cases were disposed in 2007.
Preventive mediation cases filed in 2007 reached 505, involving 121,000 workers. Adding the pending cases at the start of the year and strike notices treated as preventive mediation cases, total cases handled reached 548 of which 513 were disposed.
One hundred thirty-one (131) appealed med-arbitration cases were disposed out of one hundred eighty-two (182) handled by the Bureau of Labor Relation (BLR) and Office of the Secretary in 2007. On the other hand, the DOLE Regional Offices disposed 4,649 money claim cases with P 39.2 million in benefits awarded to 6,101 workers.
The Regional Arbitration Branches (RABs) of the National Labor Relations Comission (NLRC) handled a total of 45,238 compulsory arbitration cases in 2007. The disposition of 32,297 cases benefited 37,521 workers who were awarded with P 9.296 billion in benefits. Meanwhile, appealed cases at the NLRC Commission Proper numbered 17,338 of which 10,454 were disposed during the period. As a result, a total of P 1.722 billion was awarded to 9,479 workers.
For 2007, the DOLE Regional Offices established/organized 99 Labor Management Committees/Councils (LMCs) at the provincial/municipal/city levels, industry and plant levels nationwide. Most of the workers in these LMCs (1,843 out of 2,113) came from the 80 councils/committees established/organized at the plant level. On the other hand, DOLE conducted 1,950 seminars/workshops under the labor education program participated by 46,367 workers nationwide.

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