MANILA, Philippines — Yes, the weather can affect employment in the construction sector.
Last year alone, the seasonal nature of construction jobs saw declines as monsoon rains kicked off in May. With the rains come wet cement, delaying construction for projects mounted by the private and public sector.
Of course, the weather is not the only reason for swings in construction job prospects.
For example, a tight fiscal space, owing to rising government debt, slows down the disbursement of the Marcos Jr. administration for infrastructure projects.
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In November last year, majority of the employment in the construction sector were in private establishment with more than 98%. To note, state statisticians that release monthly jobs data classify construction workers in a government ptoject as workers in a private company since they are being hired by builders with a contract with the government.
The pandemic also crimped the construction sector’s ascent since infrastructure projects slowed down because of lockdowns. The private sector was not immune to this softening as well.
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