DOLE hopes to exceed 1-M jobs target

Manila, Philippines - Local employment appears to be getting brighter for jobseekers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said yesterday.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the government hopes not only to meet, but even exceed, the target of generating one million new jobs for the unemployed nationwide.

“Based on the National Statistics Office (NSO) survey in April, about 1.4 million new jobs were created from a year ago and if the trend continues we could even exceed our annual target by the end of the year,” Baldoz said.

The labor chief earlier said the government is already working closely with business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in an effort to generate the one million jobs needed this year.

As part of government efforts to promote local employment, Baldoz said the government also convened a National Congress to strengthen the DOLE’s job facilitation services.

DOLE is also closely coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the implementation of various construction projects that could generate jobs for Filipinos next year.

Meanwhile, Baldoz said there are more than 55,000 jobs available for jobseekers nationwide.

She said local and overseas vacancies posted in the DOLE’s Philjobnet, an online job-skills and job search portal, rose to 55,068 this week. The increase is seen to continue in the coming months.

Baldoz said more jobseekers are now also using the government’s website in searching for new employment.

“Over 160,000 jobseekers have registered so far in the site,” she said.