Only about 70,000 workers lost their jobs in the first half of 2020 after more than 2,000 establishments closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Wednesday—contrary to the 7.3 million figure reported last week by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Based on the latest Job Displacement Monitoring Report of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), a total 69,022 workers were displaced nationwide from 2,068 establishments from January 2020 to present.
“The actual number of unemployed reached only 69,000 and those who said they have closed down were 2,068 companies or employers. The 7.3 million earlier reported was just an estimate, it is not actual or factual,” the Labor chief said over a television interview.
In a virtual media briefing on June 5, PSA head Claire Dennis Mapa said the 7.3 million “is a record high in the unemployment rate, reflecting the effects of COVID-19 economic shutdown to the Philippines labor market.”
“In terms of the magnitude, the number of unemployed persons increased by 5 million from 2.3 million in April 2019 to 7.3 million in April 2020,” Mapa added.
But based on the DOLE report, 91 percent of the establishments reduced workforce (1,875), while 9 percent reported permanent closure (193).
The 193 firms that reported permanent closure displaced a total of 5,119 workers while the 1,875 companies that retrenched workers affected 63,903 employees.
According to DOLE, the month of June tallied the highest number of reporting establishments with 688 displacing 14,894 workers. This was followed by the month of February with 371 companies affecting 30,712 workers.
The DOLE said the National Capital Region (NCR) registered the most number of affected workers with 36,036; followed by CALABARZON with 14,206; Central Luzon (5,113); Cordillera Administrative Region (5,023); Ilocos Region (1,945);
Central Visayas (1,929); Northern Mindanao (1,172); Eastern Visayas (874); Davao Region (745); Western Visayas (495); CARAGA (400); Cagayan Valley (345); Bicol Region (300); Soccsksargen (246); MIMAROPA (188); and Zamboanga Peninsula (5).
Most displaced workers were under administrative and support service (25,634), and the manufacturing sector (8,400),according to DOLE.
Manila and the rest of the main island of Luzon have been placed on a lockdown by President Rodrigo Duterte to help curb to spread of the virus.
With Luzon accounting for 56% of the Philippines’ population and contributing 73% to the country’s GDP, the economy and millions of jobs have been badly affected, the PSA reported. The unemployment rate in January 2020 was 5.3% while in April 2019, it was recorded at 5.1%.
