Marcos: Gov't to pursue up-skilling, re-skilling initiatives for labor force

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Thursday vowed to pursue up-skilling and re-skilling measures to provide more high quality job opportunities for Filipinos.

Marcos made the commitment as he welcomed the significant progress and resilience in the labor market shown in the Labor Force Survey for December 2023. 

Philippines Statistics Authority chief and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa on Wednesday said the number of unemployed individuals, ages 15 and above, went down to 1.60 million in December 2023 from 1.83 million in November 2023.

''This positive momentum is attributed to robust growth across all major industry groups, with construction, agriculture, and services leading the way,'' Marcos said in a statement. 

''We will also pursue up-skilling and re-skilling initiatives and promote innovation to prepare our workforce with the necessary skills and adaptability to thrive in many high-quality employment opportunities,'' he added. 

The President vowed that his administration would remain committed to fostering a conducive and enabling environment for employment growth. 

''We will continue to implement both demand- and supply-side interventions, including pro-investment reforms and strategic partnerships, to attract more investments. The enactment of initiatives such as the Public-Private Partnership Code and the 4PH Housing Program will further stimulate economic activity and create more job opportunities,'' he said. 

As a percentage of the total 52.13 million people in the labor force who are actively seeking for work, the unemployment rate stood at 3.1%.

This means that 31 out of 1,000 individuals in the labor force do not have jobs or livelihoods in December last year, according to Mapa.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan earlier said the record-low unemployment rate signifies "the economy's sustained momentum and resiliency of our labor market."

"Further, the Marcos administration is steadfast in its commitment to prioritize creating high-paying jobs to address the longstanding vulnerabilities in our country’s employment and lower the underemployment rate, an indicator of job quality," he said.

"We will continue ramping up social and physical infrastructure investments and dramatically improve human capital to strengthen our people’s employment prospects,'' he added. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA Integrated News