Fewer Filipino workers are optimistic that there will be more job opportunities in the next 12 months, a Social Weather Stations survey coinciding with Labor Day yesterday said.
In the nationwide survey conducted among 1,200 respondents last March 25 to 28, the SWS found out that 44 percent of Filipinos are optimistic that there will be more jobs in the next 12 months.
About 15 percent believed there will be fewer jobs while 27 percent said there will be no change in job availability.
The percentage of Filipinos who believed there will more jobs in the coming months fell from last December’s 48 percent while the percentage of those who said there will be fewer jobs increased from 12 percent.
These translate to a net job optimism of “high” +29 (percentage of “optimistic” minus percentage of “pessimistic”), which is down from the “very high” +37 registered three months ago.
SWS terminology for net optimism are +70 and above as “excellent;” +50 to +69 “very good;” +30 to +49 “good;” +10 to +29 “moderate;” +9 to -9 “neutral;” -10 to -29 “poor;” -30 to 49 “bad;” -50 to -69 “very bad;” and -70 and below “execrable.”
In the same survey, joblessness among Filipinos barely moved from last December’s 25.1 percent or estimated 11.2 million individuals to 22.9 percent or 10.4 million workers.
To further define joblessness, SWS said those who fall under this category are individuals 18 years old and above without a job and also looking for a job.
However, those jobless who are not looking for work, such as housewives and retired individuals, are excluded from this category.
The survey showed that the number of unemployed Filipinos is composed mainly of adults who quit their jobs with 11.2 percent or 5.1 million Filipinos from 12.2 percent or 5.4 million adults in the previous quarter; who were retrenched with 8.6 percent or 3.9 million Filipinos, similar to the previous quarter with 8.7 percent or 3.9 million Filipinos; and first-time jobseekers with 3.1 percent or 1.4 million Filipinos or 4.3 percent or 1.9 million adults. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz)
