Workers aged 65 and above increased to 38.2% in June, up from 34.9% in May, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
A new bill has been filed to repeal the compulsory retirement age of 65 years to allow employees to continue working if they want and are able to.
A new bill to prepare more Filipinos for jobs through education and training on digital skills has lapsed into law, said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
A lawmaker has filed a bill pushing for a 14th month pay for all employees in the public and private sectors amid rising inflation.
Employers that are signatories to the 1 Million Jobs (1MJ) manifesto will flesh out their plans and strategies to create quality employment.
Besides upskilling workers, the government also intends to address the jobs mismatch issue and boost jobs creation in the country.
Under the country’s regulations, at least 1% of all positions in government agencies, offices, or corporations should be reserved for PWDs.
The Philippines’ labour department eyes private sector assistance for worker benefits to alleviate rising cost of living.
Firms are encouraged to tap into Philippine Skills Framework to help their employees improve their hard and soft skills.
Government agencies can now implement alternative work arrangements at any time for some 1.7 million employees regardless of their status of appointment.
Starting from June 15, new flexible work arrangements (FWA) in the public sector will cover 1.7 million employees.
Wage hikes ranging between P30 (US$0.78) and P110 (US$2.86) are set to take effect in at least 14 regions this month.
This comes as work hours globally have fallen in Q1’2022 by 3.8%, as compared to Q4’2019, an equivalent of 112 million full-time jobs.
MSMEs account for over 99% of the country’s registered businesses, and generate about 63% of total jobs.
Companies are also encouraged to ensure that workforce education matches the acceleration of digital technology.
In Metro Manila, the revised minimum wage rate will be effective June 4, while the new wage rate will take effect on June 5 in Western Visayas.
ILO will oversee the creation of training materials and provide capacity building for the national trainers endorsed by DOLE.
So far, the wage boards of Metro Manila and Western Visayas have approved the minimum wage hike in various sectors.
Foreign direct investments that the Philippines secured last year would generate more employment, said the Department of Trade and Industry.
The Philippines and Singapore will also address how MSMEs in emerging markets continue to be underserved.
The ASEAN SME Academy 2.0 platform provides training and mentorship to MSMEs by featuring localised courses on topics of interest.
The Philippines labour department highlighted that it would be wrong for workplaces to start getting complacent against COVID-19.
The wage subsidies will help stimulate consumer spending, which could help the government in its efforts to revive the economy.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board has highlighted that the trade union’s request for a blanket pay hike is not within its jurisdiction.
The Philippine Venture Capital Report 2022 said local startups raised US$1.03 billion for funding in 2021, a 179% increase year-on-year.
To reduce job mismatches, the government needs to have in place more training programmes so that workers can keep pace with digital transformation.
They have proposed a 50%-75% office capacity and the implementation of a reduced workweek while proceeding with a work-from-home arrangement.
The percentage of businesses planning on an expansion in the second quarter this year has dropped to 20.8% from 23.2% in the previous survey.
One fifth of business processing outsourcing (BPO) workers would rather quit their jobs than return to offices.
In a move that could potentially herald the 4-day work week, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) will be issuing a policy for flexible work.
