More Pinoys seeking part-time jobs

More and more Filipinos are seeking "extra" work or part-time jobs despite continuing improvement in the country’s economy, a research network reported yesterday.

Clarence Pascual, senior researcher of Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN), said the number of underemployed or those who expressed desire to seek additional jobs surged to a high 6.9 million.

"The number of underemployed nationwide reached 6.9 million at the start of this year or an increase of 1.8 million in the last 12 months apparently due to rising cost of living in the country," Pascual said.

According to Pascual, the 6.9 million underemployed brought to 10 million the total number of Filipinos who are currently looking for work, including the present three million jobless Filipinos.

"Based on the latest data, the labor market turned in a dismal performance in January despite unexpectedly strong economic growth in the last quarter of 2005," Pascual pointed out.

Although employment expanded by 750,000 in January, Pascual said, a majority of the jobs generated were of poor quality and low paying.

"The concentration of employment gains in low-productivity and low-pay sectors such as agriculture and private households indicates poor quality of job creation," he said.

Citing data from the National Statistics Office (NSO), Pascual said, the agriculture sector accounted for the biggest number of jobs generated in January followed by private households, which contributed 102,000 net new jobs.

In contrast, the industrial sector posted a net job loss of 95,000, with construction shedding 73,000 jobs and manufacturing losing some 18,000 jobs.

"The government claimed success in employment generation but deliberately evaded the fact that part-time jobs account for the bulk of new jobs created," Pascual explained.

The NSO reported that part-time jobs increased by 651,000, posting the bulk of new jobs. Unpaid family workers posted an increase of 389,000 or 52 percent of net job creation. The number of own-account workers rose by 263,000.

Pascual further noted that the rising labor productivity has not translated into higher wages and family incomes because of soaring unemployment.

"The overall index of compensation in establishments with 10 or more workers has been flat over the last 10 years. The index for the manufacturing sector shows a steep drop during the same period," he said.

The latest data showed that the average family income in real terms shrunk by 14 percent between 1997 and 2003 despite the steady rise in productivity. — Mayen Jaymalin