MANILA, Philippines — Close to 150,000 workers nationwide were displaced in the first month of the year due to company closures and adoption of flexible work arrangements (FWA), according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
DOLE’s Job Displacement Report showed that from Jan. 1 to 31, a total of 149,800 workers were either retrenched from their jobs or affected by FWAs adopted by commercial establishments.
Of the total number of displacements in January, 53,057 workers from 2,488 commercial establishments lost their jobs permanently.
DOLE noted that 90 percent of the 2,488 companies resorted to the reduction of workforce, while the remaining 10 percent reported permanent closures.
A majority of the workers who were permanently displaced came from the National Capital Region (NCR), followed by those from Central Visayas and Central Luzon.
Aside from those who permanently lost their employment, DOLE reported that there were also 96,743 workers affected by FWAs and temporary closure of establishments.
Half of the establishments that adopted FWAs were small enterprises, while a bigger number of companies that resorted to temporary closures were micro enterprises.