Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 9) – More than 191,000 people nationwide lost their jobs over the past five months, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported, as several employers continue to struggle to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figures from DOLE released on Wednesday showed a total of 191,117 workers in 6,602 establishments were displaced from January to May this year. Some 91% were due to retrenchment while 9% were affected by permanent closure of businesses.
The DOLE said this data was sourced from notices of shutdown and workforce reduction submitted by employers to its regional offices.
Around 60% of the total displaced – or at least 114,000 people – are from Metro Manila. The second biggest tally was recorded in Central Visayas, where over 20,000 became jobless, followed by Central Luzon with 18,000.
In terms of major industries, the worst-hit was the construction sector, which accounted for 27%, or over 51,000 of all those affected. The transportation and storage industry group saw at least 22,000 job cuts, while the administrative and support service sector had nearly 20,000.
Meanwhile, 11,227 establishments – which cover more than 615,000 workers – had their companies implement flexible work arrangements. This may include reduced work days or hours, forced leave, and partial closure, among others. Another 10,583 enterprises, with a cumulative workforce of 342,000, also resorted to temporary closure.
The Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday announced the national unemployment rate rose to 8.7% in April from March’s 7.1%. This means 4.14 million Filipinos are without jobs – higher than 3.44 million the month prior – after a surge in COVID-19 cases forced government to tighten quarantine restrictions.
