The number of unemployed Filipinos swelled to more than 10 million or over 20 percent, according to the third quarter survey of the Social Weather Station (SWS) released on Monday. SWS said unemployment has always been above 20 percent since November 2010 except in March 2015 where 19.1 percentage was recorded. Since 2010, the joblessness in the Philippines has reached to as high as 34.4 percent in March 2012. The SWS definition of joblessness covers respondents age 18 and over who are “without a job at present and looking for a job.” This excludes those not looking for work like housewives, students, and retired or disabled persons. Source
It probably excludes a lot more people who the BIR have no idea even exist, the reality is that many Filipino's have never filled in a tax return in their entire lives, never paid a social security payment, basically never interacted with the state.
I have no doubt at all that oss is right and that the real figure is well above 20% unemployed, even allowing for the fact that this is an SWS survey and they are pretty good. 20% is the number "looking for work". However, I don't believe the "10 million OFWs", either. It is quite possible that there are ten million people of Filipino descent outside the Philippines, but that is a very different matter. The Philippine Statistics Authority puts the number of OFWs at 2.2 million with contracts and a further 100,000 looking for work but overseas between April and September 2014. Keep in mind all OFWs leave, even if they are trafficked, on contracts approved by and registered with the POEA. You can't leave the country otherwise ( remember the CFO and the PCOS!)
You're right Andrew that the term 'OFW' has a specific meaning, I was just taking the numbers from here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Filipinos so yes those on actual official approved contracts may well be a bit less than the 10 million mark.
Cannot argue with those figures Keith old boy, from the horses mouth so to speak On a quick peruse I'm a little surprised to see the largest percentage of OFWs are unskilled workers, I was expecting to see a larger percentage of professionals.
A lot of domestics work overseas. I'm surprised how they get this number as who records who is or not working. I know lots who work but I'm very sure they do not record or submit a tax return for example trike drivers maids etc
L The "unemployment" figures are from SWS - Social Weather Stations - a well respected polling organisation, which played a big role in the downfall of Marcos by showing that he had faked the election results. They will have been obtained by sampling a representative cross section of the population in several provinces, like an opinion poll. The figures for numbers employed overseas come from POEA and GCOS records.
why? because 1. here in Philippines we have age requirements to get a job (21-30) 2. you must have a pleasing personality ( when i say pleasing personality means Mestiza, sexy, almost like a TV personality) 3. you must have a contact inside the company 4. you must be graduate from a prestige school 5. we only do contractual jobs oh yes we discriminate! im talking about a general issue with employment scheme here in PH. I have been an HR in DXB and comparing the employment ways is wayyyyyyyy too far. They dont look at your capability to work and to learn. Please dont get me wrong I am not being bitter or hating PH. I have been discussing these issues with my friends who happens to work in Recruitment Agencies and we do compare notes on how I used to Hire people back in DXB and how they do hire here apparently for a sad truth sometimes these requirements are from the companies themselves
Well said, Portia. The Philippines has allowed what is on the face of it a fair and reasonable labour code to become totally distorted. I love your definition of "pleasing personality"!
What you said is very interesting, it is the first time I have had confirmation from a source that is not connected to my family that the 21-30 policy exists, I always believed it but never had it confirmed.
policies aren't always followed...we always would do "palabra de honor" (doing favors) ..others would call it connections
