The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in less stable and lower quality jobs in the Philippines, an official of the Asian Development Bank said.
Asian Development Bank country director Kelly Bird said the employment composition has shifted even as the government reported the gradual return of the labor force to pre-pandemic levels.
“The concern for us is that the employment that’s been generated is in the informal sector. These are generally less stable employment activities,” Bird said.
“That’s the concern – lower quality jobs are being created, not quality jobs. And we’re concerned that with this pandemic there could be scarring effects in this segment,” he added.
Government data showed unemployment surged to 17.7 percent in April last year during the height of the strictest lockdown or Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon that was imposed to stem the spread of the virus.
In January, the unemployment record improved to only 8.7 percent.
The largest contraction, Bird said, was seen in the accommodation and food sectors as businesses were shuttered by the lockdowns.
The ADB official said there was a significant growth in administrative jobs as well as those in information and communication due to the shift to a work-from-home setup.
“There is a massive sectoral reallocation of jobs as the economy recovers. That reallocation will kind of narrow but it could persist over the medium term,” he said.