1. “The Philippine
Employment Scenario”
Must Know For the Youth

2. Session Objectives
• At the end of 30 minutes, the participants
shall be able to:
 Define and/or explain some basic employment
terms and concepts;
 Relate the terms and concepts with actual
Philippine employment data; and
 Discuss some local and global employment
prospects.

3. Basic Employment Terms and
Concepts
Labor Force
The population 15 years old and over,
whether employed or unemployed,
who contribute to the production of
goods and services in the country.

4. Not in the Labor Force
Persons considered not in the labor force
are those who are not working and are
not available for work during the
reference week, and persons who are
not available and are not looking for
work. (e.g., housewives, students,
disabled or retired persons and seasonal
workers.)

5. Labor Force Participation Rate
Proportion, in percent, of the total
number of persons in the labor force to
the total household population 15 years
old and over.

6. Employed
Persons aged 15 years old and above who
during the reference week, are reported
either:
• At work even for an hour; or
• With a job/business even though not at work
because of temporary illness/injury, vacation or
other leave of absence, bad weather or strike/
labor dispute or other reasons. Likewise, persons
who are expected to report for work or start
operation of a farm or business enterprise within
two (2) weeks from the date of the enumerators
visit, are considered employed.

7. Unemployed
Persons in the labor force who did not work
or had no job/ business during the reference
week and were reported looking and
available for work. Also considered as
unemployed are persons without a job or
business who were reported not looking for
work because of their belief that no work
was available or because of temporary
illness/disability, bad weather, pending job
application or waiting for interview.

8. Underemployed
Employed persons who desire to have
additional hours of work in their present job or
in an additional job, or to have a new job with
longer working hours.
Visibly Underemployed
Employed persons who work for less than 40
hours during the reference week and still want
additional hours of work.
Invisibly Underemployed
Employed persons work for 40s hours or more
during the reference week and still want
additional hours of work.

9. The Philippine Employment Scenario
Key Employment Indicators
Philippines: 2006-2007
(In thousands except rates)
Indicator Year-on-Year
2007 2006 Change
Household Population 15 Years Old 56,569 55,230 1,339
& Over
Labor Force 36,213 35,464 749
- Employed Persons 33,560 32,636 924
- Unemployed Persons 2,654 2,829 -175
Underemployed Persons 6,756 7,371 -615
- Visibly underemployed 3,908 4,359 -451
Not in the Labor Force 20,356 19,766 590
LPFR (%) 64.0 64.2
Unemployment Rate (%) 7.3 8.0
Underemployment Rate (%) 20.1 22.6
- Visible Underemployment Rate (%) 11.6 13.4
Source: National Statistics Office, Labor Force Survey

10. 1. The Employment Situation, 2007
Working Age Population, Labor Force and Labor Force
Participation Rate (LFPR)
In 2007, the country’s working-age
population (persons 15 years old and over) stood
at 56.569 million, of which 36.213 million were
in the labor force. Correspondingly, the
labor force participation rate (LFPR) for the
reference period was registered at 64.0 percent.
Employment
Total employed persons in 2007 was estimated
at
33.560 million, up by 924,000 from the
employment level of 32.636 million recorded a year
ago. This translates to an employment rate of
92.7%.

11.  The services sector accounted for the biggest share of the
employment pie at 50 percent, followed by Agriculture,
Fishery and Forestry, 35 percent; and Industry with 15
percent.
 The major portion of employment in the Services sector was
found in Wholesale and Retail Trade at 38.9 percent, followed
by Transport, Storage and Communication with 15.6 percent.
 Employment in Industry was accounted for largely by
Manufacturing (61.1%).
 Half (52.2%) of the employed were wage and salary workers
while almost forty percent (35.8%) were own-account
workers.
 Persons in full time employment (worked 40 hours or more)
accounted for 62.1 percent of the total employed workforce
while 36.5 percent engaged in part-time employment.

12. Unemployment
Unemployment in 2007 stood at 2.654 million
(7.3% unemployment rate)
Almost half (1.336 million or 50.3%) half of
the unemployed were young workers aged 15-
24 years old, closely followed by prime
working age 25–54 years old (1.214 million or
45.7%)
Youth unemployment rate which stood at 17.4
percent was more than twice the national rate
of 7.3 percent.
 A large proportion of the unemployed
were high school graduates (46.0% or 1.221
million) and college graduates (38.2% or 1.014
million).

13. The National Capital Region (NCR) posted the highest
unemployment rate of 12.2 percent.
Underemployment
The number of underemployed persons (those
employed expressing the desire for additional hours of
work/additional job) declined by 615,000 – from 7.371
million in 2006, to 6.756 million in 2007). This
corresponds to an underemployment rate of
20.1% down from 22.6% a year before
Underemployment is a rural phenomenon, mostly rural
workers found in the agriculture, fishery and forestry
sector, mainly because of the seasonal nature of farm
employment.

14. 2 Overseas Employment Contribution
The overseas labor market has been a major provider
of jobs to Filipinos for several decades now;
In 2006, the country deployed a total of 1,062,567
OFWs, majority of which are land-based workers
(74.17%);
Land-based new hires totaled 305,554 in 2007, up by
only 1.0% from the 2006 new hire deployment figure
of 302,673;
The bulk of land-based OFWs were deployed in the
Middle East (58.7%) and in Asia (28.3%);
By gender, female OFWs dominated the overseas
Market ,accounting for 60.0 percent of the total number
of new hires; specifically in professional & service
occupations;
The bulk of overseas deployment consisted of Service
and Professional/Technical workers.

15. Employment Prospects : Local Market
The Key Employment Generators (KEGs)
 Cyberservices
 Hotel & Restaurant
 Aviation
 Agribusiness
 Health Services
 Mining
 Medical Tourism
Source: National Manpower Summit

16. The KEGs are expected to generate an estimated
4,081,447 jobs over the period 2006 to 2010:
1,383,890 – Cyberservices
400, 280 – Hotel & Restaurant
27,581 – Aviation
2,044,161 – Agribusiness
58, 003 – Health Services
39, 382 – Mining
128,150 – Medical Tourism
Source: National Manpower Summit (based on industry projections)

17. In-Demand Skills in Key Employment
Generators: 2006-2010
 Cyberservices - ICT services and ICT-enabled services
wherein the Board of Investments lists
contact centers, back office processing,
medical transcription, software
development and animation as the five
ICT priority sectors.
• Animation
– Entry Level Animator

18. • Back Office Processing
– HR Analyst
– Financial Accountant
– Engineer
• Contact Center
– Agent
• Medical Transcription
– Trasnscriptionist
– Editor
• Software Development
– Programmer

19.  Hotel & Restaurant
– Front Office Agent/Attendant
– Cook
– Food Server & Handler
– Food & Beverages Service Attendant
– Waiter
– Bartender
 Aviation
– Pilot
– Mechanic
– Air Traffic Controller
 Agribusiness
– Inland & Coastal Fisherman
– Oyster/Mussle Farm Cultivator
– Vegetable Farmer
– Fruit Tree Farmer
– Livestock & Poultry Producer
– Horticulturist

20.  Health Services
– Nurse
– Health Aide
– Nursing Aide
– Dentist
 Mining
– Skilled Miner
 Medical Tourism
– Massage Therapist
– “Trained” Nurse

21. Employment Prospects : Global Market
Job Opportunities Overseas By Major Skills: 2006 – 2010
Production
19.82% Seabased
Agricultural 25.22%
0.09%
Professional &
Service
Technical
34.94%
Sales 17.21%
1.13%
Sea-based (1.4M)
Clerical Administrative
Land-based (4.2M)
1.47% & Managerial
0%
TOTAL ESTIMATED EMPLOYMENT GENERATION (5.6M)
Source: National Manpower Summit

22. In-Demand Skills in the Global Market (Top 20 Occupations)
Rank Occupation Number
1 Household Worker 91,412
2 Production & Related Workers NEC 24,279
3 Caregivers & Caretakers 14,412
4 Nurses Professional 13,525
5 Waiters Bartenders & Related Workers 7,941
Char workers Cleaners & Related
6 6,706
Workers
7 Laborers/Helpers General 5,905
8 Caretakers Building 5,396
9 Laborers/Helpers Construction 5,376
10 Plumber & Pipe fitters 5,120
Source: POEA (based on 2006 deployment data)

23. Rank Occupation Number
11 Sewers & Embroiderers 4,853
12 Wiremen Electrical 4,767
13 Welders & Flame Cutters 4,538
Carpenters, Joiners & Parquetry
14 4,316
Workers
15 Composers, Musicians & Singers 4,050
Machine Fitters, Machine Assemblers
16 3,370
& Precision Instrument Workers
17 Cooks & Related Workers 3,343
18 Choreographers & Dancers 3,312
Bricklayers, Stonemasons & Tile
19 2,779
Setters
Operators Earthmoving & Related
20 2,766
Machinery
Source: POEA (based on 2006 deployment data)

24. • Overseas employment remains to be a legitimate option
for the country’s workforce;
• Skills shortages in developed countries have
expanded the market for OFWs especially in the medical
and health profession;
• Development of export capacity in skilled labor by
developing countries has resulted to more competitive
workers qualifying for overseas jobs (i. e. software
development and e-services);
• Due to the economic boom in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, this country will remain to be the perennial bright
spot for rehires particularly for production workers such
as Construction workers (Carpenters, Masons, Tile
Setters) and other trades and related workers (Plumbers,
Machine Operators, Drivers, etc.). Major companies like
Saudi Aramco & Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC) will need
more engineers & construction workers until 2010 to work
in $95 million worth of projects;
Source: POEA advisory

25. • Women migrant workers will also continue to comprise
the greater bulk of the total deployment of newly hired
OFWs with the upsurge in the demand for Medical
workers particularly Nurses and Health Care Assistants
wherein a significant portion of job orders require
female workers;
• The US market for Teachers is likewise on an upward
trend particularly in the field of science and
mathematics;
• There are bright employment prospects in the United
Arab Emirates based on the employment opportunities
for Filipino workers that are expected in the following
sectors:
Source: POEA advisory

26.  Construction and Tourism – various skills such
as Engineers, Welders, & other skills will be needed
for on-going construction of man- made islands in the
Northern Emirates. Upon completion, these islands,
being tourist attractions will require service workers
such as Gardeners, Waiters/Waitresses and other
Hotel staff;
 Health and Related Services – new hospitals and
private clinics are being built and Filipino
medical professionals are highly preferred in this
sector;
 Oil Industry – former refinery workers are being
hired in this sector where Filipinos occupy
technical support position;
 Household Services – the hiring of Filipino
household workers, who constitute the bulk of the
deployment to the UAE, will continue.
Source: POEA advisory

27. • The demand for foreign workers in Israel has been rising
particularly in three (3) sectors: Agriculture,
Construction and Care- giving. Our country regards
Israel as a traditional market for Caregivers;
• The Philippine embassy in Cairo, Egypt recently reported
about job opportunities in Sudan following the passage
of Sudan’s Freedom of Investment Act which paves the
way to the flow of investments into the country:
 The Foreign Minister of Sudan is looking forward
to the entry of Filipino construction labor for the
country’s various Construction projects;
 Filipino healthcare professionals, particularly
Nurses, may be tapped to compliment Sudan’s
growing medical needs.
Source: POEA advisory

28. • Korea’s Construction industry is seeking to hire
thousands of foreign workers as industrial trainees
amidst the shortage of workers in the local labor market;
• According to the head of a delegation of Singaporean
recruitment agencies who recently visited the
Philippines, the current economic environment in
Singapore is now conducive to the entry of more foreign
workers and the demand could reach a high of 53,000
during the next five years and 50 to 60 percent of this
number could come from the Philippines to work in :
 the hotel & gaming industry as managers,
supervisors, croupiers, dealers, chambermaids &
waiters/waitresses;
 the construction sector as architects, engineers &
draftsmen.
Source: POEA advisory

29. • Another country which has embarked on one of the most
ambitious development programs in the world today is
Qatar, generating thousands of job opportunities for
foreign workers in the oil and gas sector; infrastructure
and construction; health and medical services;
• The government of Canada has recently opened its
labor market for temporary workers to be deployed in
the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
and British Columbia. Manpower requirements
consists of construction workers (welders, heavy
equipment operators, pipe fitters, plumbers,
carpenters, electricians and general laborers); farm
and forestry workers; service workers
(waiters/waitress, room attendants, cooks,
housekeeping workers); agricultural production
workers; nurses; and caregivers;
Source: POEA advisory

30. •There is a rising demand for overseas workers in
Malaysia consisting of the following categories
- IT and related skills
- skilled workers in shipbuilding and ship repair
- casino workers and entertainers
• Brunei’s oil and gas, hotel and restaurant and
construction industries offer good employment
opportunities for skilled workers and professionals
such as fabricators, riggers, high pressure operators,
managers and engineers (civil, structural, electrical);
• Korea and Taiwan remains to be major destinations
for Filipino factory workers. At the same time, the
construction and ship-building sectors in Korea will
require skilled workers while there are emerging
opportunities for IT and healthcare workers in
Taiwan;
Source: POEA advisory

31. • There will be more employment opportunities for
Filipino nurses in the ASEAN region under the ASEAN
Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on nursing
services, under the MRA, licensed Filipino nurses will
be recognized by the host country and allowed to
practice their profession in the ASEAN member
countries and vice-versa;
• The projected demand for Filipino nurses in various
overseas destinations consists of:
– 1 million nurses up to 2010 in the USA
– 10,000 registered nurses up to 2010 in Canada
– 10,000 nurses up to 2008 in Ireland
– 50,000 nurses by 2010 in the UK
– 40,000 nurses by 2010 in Australia (immigrant
status)
• There is also a growing demand for nurses specializing
in geriatric care, acute/intensive care, cardiovascular
care, renal, dialysis, oncology and telemetry;
Source: POEA advisory

32. • There are plans to hire Filipino nurses for Auckland,
New Zealand by the counties Manukau District Health
Board under the direct – hiring scheme with the
POEA;
• Hawaii is a potential market for Filipino nurses due to
the present nursing shortage in this state. Filipino
nurses who have passed the required state
examination can enter Hawaii as licensed nursing
professionals and fill-in the supply gap;
• An Agreement has also been forged between the
Philippines and Bahrain in an exchange training and
recruitment program for Filipino nurses and other
health professionals;
Source: POEA advisory

33. • Employment Opportunities for License Practical
Nurses (LPNs) in the USA:
 The employment of LPNs is projected to grow by 14%
between the period 2006 and 2016 in response to the
long term care needs of an increasingly elderly
population and the general increase in demand for
health care services;
 The projected shortage of medical workers
particularly nurses which is estimated to reach
around 810,000 by 2020, will create job opportunities
for Filipino nurses, including LPNs, as they are
preferred over other nationalities;
 Home health care agencies will offer a large number
of new jobs for LPNs because of an increasing
number of older people with functional disabilities,
consumer preferences for care in the home and
technological advances that it make possible to bring
increasingly complex treatments into the home.
Source: POEA advisory

34. • The deployment of OFWs in Guam to work in the U.S.
Marines relocation project from Okinawa to Guam is a
major possibility by 2010. Considering that there is a
shortage of skilled manpower in Guam, workers will
be needed for the construction of housing and other
infrastructure needed for the relocation;
• The construction boom in Kuwait will create 11,356
job opening;
• Other employment opportunities are expected from
the construction and oil exploration sectors in Libya
and likewise in hotel services, tourism and fisheries;
Source: POEA advisory

35. Hot Jobs: Top 20 Vacancies, Local/Overseas
(thru Phil-Jobnet, April 25 – May 2, 2008)
Rank Position/Title No. Location
1 Professional Nurse(General) 5,000 Overseas
2 Staff Nurse 3450 Overseas
3 Call Center Agent 814 Local
4 Customer Service Assistant 300 Local
5 Production Worker/Factory 289 Local/Oversea
Worker s
6 Sales Clerk 236 Local
7 Rigger 215 Overseas
8 Electrical Engineer (General) 206 Local/Oversea
s
9 Cashier 177 Local/Oversea
s
10 Technical Support Staff 150 Local

36. (con’t.) Hot Jobs: Top 20 Vacancies, Local/Overseas
thru Phil-Jobnet, April 25 – May 2, 2008
Rank Position/Title No Location
11 Mechanical Engineer (General) 138 Local/Overseas
12 Merchandizer 135 Local/Overseas
13 Sales Associate Professional 115 Local
14 Electrician (General) 111 Local/Overseas
Sales Supervisor 111 Local
15 Project Analyst 102 Overseas
16 Civil Engineer (General) 90 Local/Overseas
17 Pipe Fabricator 86 Overseas
18 Service Crew 78 Local
19 Draftsman (General) 77 Local/Overseas
20 Heavy Truck Driver 76 Overseas

37. Occupations with Supply Gaps
in Priority Sectors (Hard-to-Fill)
Cyber services Hotel & Restaurant
• Engineer • Cook
• Accountant • Tour Guide
• Animator • Reservation Officer for
Hotels & Travel
• Programmer Agencies
• Contact Center Agent • Butler
• Medical Transcriptionist • Barista
• Editor

38. Occupations with Supply Gaps
in Priority Sectors (Hard-to-Fill)
 Health, Wellness & Medical Tourism
• Doctor
• Nurse
• Massage Therapist
• Spa Therapist
Mining
• Geologist
• Mining Engineer
• Metallurgical Engineer

39. Occupations with Supply Gaps
in Priority Sectors (Hard-to-Fill)
 Shipbuilding Construction
• Welder (FCAW/GMAW/ALLOY) • Architect
• Fabricator • Engineer
• Pipe Fitter • Welder
• Marine Electrician (FCAW/GMAW/SMAW
• Heavy Equipment Mechanic
• Insulator
Maritime • Rigger
• Fabricator
• Marine Officer
• Pipe Fitter
• Seafarer
• Culinary Chef
Agribusiness
Entrepreneur

40. Salamat po !!!