More Filipinos hired than fired, quit jobs in Q4

MANILA, Philippines – Large enterprises in Metro Manila had more new hires than employees who either quit or were terminated in the last quarter of 2012, latest data from the Bureau of Employment and Labor Statistics (BLES) showed. 

Data released by BLES this March showed that the labor turnover rate—the difference between jobs gained and jobs lost, was at 2.47%, indicating an addition of 25 workers per 1,000 employed.

Hiring growth in the last quarter of 2012 accelerated compared with the year-ago level recorded at 1.88%. On a quarterly basis, it was still higher than rates recorded in the first 3 quarters of last year.

“This is the second consecutive quarter that employment had gone up after posting negligible growth rates in the first 2 quarters of 2012,” BLES said.

“This is a turnaround from the near zero growth in the first quarter, 0.63%, and second quarter, 0.85%, of 2012 and the decline in the fourth quarter of 2011,-2.05%.”

Job creation

BLES attributes the higher employment growth to gains in 3 big subsectors:

• accommodation and food service (4.04%)
• wholesale and retail trade (3.60%)
• construction (3.23%) 

The report added that there were more job vacancies due to “replacement of workers” rather than businesses expanding.

Industries that had new hires to replace previous workers were:

• mining and quarrying
• wholesale and retail trade
• arts, entertainment and recreation
• agriculture, forestry and fishing

Meanwhile, sectors which hired new people due to “expansion of business activities” were:

• construction
• water supply
• professional, scientific and technical activities
• information and communication
• education

Job displacements

Six subsectors recorded negative labor turnover rates:

• mining and quarrying (-7.28%)
• health and social services (-3.96%)
• education (-2.05%)
• agriculture, forestry and fishing (-0.86%)
• arts, entertainment, and recreation (-0.77%)
• electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (-0.17%)

The study noted that there were more employer-initiated separations or terminations (3.53%) than resignations (2.13%) in the last quarter of 2012.

It added that layoffs and terminations occurred most in mining and quarrying, and construction sectors.

Most workers quit their jobs in:

• transportation and storage
• arts, entertainment and recreation 
• real estate activities 

– Rappler.com