The public and private sectors estimated they have generated at least 1.5 million new jobs in 2021 under the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS), an employment recovery plan of the government.

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, who also chairs the NERS Task Force, reported that although reports from most industries are still pending, an estimated 600,000 jobs from the private sector have been created in 2021, mostly from the construction industry.

From the government side, specific enrolled programs under the NERS also directly contributed 913,498 jobs last year. Combined, the public and private sectors have been able to generate more than 1.5 million jobs last year under various government intervention programs.

The Department of Public Workers and Highways created the most number of government jobs with 691,071, mostly construction works under the government’s Build Build Build program.

The Department of Labor and Employment also contributed 162,861 jobs during the Jan-Nov period last year under the agency’s four major jobs generation program. Under DOLE’s Employment Bridging/Internship, DOLE created 46,271 jobs and 105,493 jobs for its Special Program for Employment of Students.

Under the Emergency Employment program, DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers generated 6,309 jobs and 4,788 Contact Tracers.

The DTI’s self-employment/entrepreneurship program also generated 40,752 jobs via its livelihood seeding program - Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay, and another 3,179 jobs under sa Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa.

The Department of Transportation also contributed 11,201 for its service contracting program while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources created 2,805 jobs under the Support to National Convergence and Initiatives for Sustainable Rural Development.

The Department of Science and Technology generated 1,629 jobs under its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program.

Lopez said the NERS Task Force will continue its programs for 2022 to Build Back Better.

The pandemic has remained to be very challenging, but Lopez said there are already signs of recovery, with some indicators even already exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

The manifesto to generate 1 million jobs was signed by the public and private sector at the closing ceremony of the 42nd National Conference of Employers in June last year. Both the public and private sectors vowed to implement their tasks to recover 1 million jobs that were lost due to the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The “Reform. Rebound. Recover: One Million Jobs for 2021” manifesto was signed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Transportation, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, Commission of Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the government.

From the private sector, the document was signed by Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, Philippine Constructors Association, Inc., Philippine Hotel Owners Association, Inc., and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc.