As Christmas Day nears, here’s a bit of good news from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The country’s employment rate in October 2022 stood at 95.5 percent, “the highest rate recorded since January 2020, and registered to have bounced back from pre-pandemic levels.” This percentage rate translates into an estimated 47.11 million Filipinos employed in October 2022, from 43.82 million in the same period last year.

Conversely, the PSA reported further: “In October 2022, the country’s unemployment rate also fell back to pre-pandemic levels at 4.5 percent, translating to 2.24 million unemployed Filipinos. This is a decline of 1.26 million from the 3.50 million unemployed reported in October 2021, and lower by 256,000 compared to the 2.50 million unemployed in September 2022.

To understand better what these employment figures signify, there is need to track the sectors that are chalking up the highest increase on the number of employed persons, year-on-year, as follows: (a) wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, 672,000; (b) transportation and storage, 553,000; (c) construction, 426,000; (d) accommodation and food service activities, 407,000; and (e) administrative and support service activities, 366,000.

Over the same period, there were three sub-sectors that reported a decline in the number of employed persons, namely: (a) agriculture and forestry, minus 197,000; (b) human health and social work activities, minus 54,000; and (c) water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities, minus 52,000.

Clearly, more Filipinos are becoming more mobile, as the pandemic has eased significantly. The return to face-to-face schooling, as well as the reduction of work from home, have revved up mobility and trade, while bringing back severe traffic congestion on major thoroughfares. Construction revival brings on high multiplier effects, as it involves many component industries. High patronage of hotels and restaurants also creates many job opportunities that benefit local communities.

But the continuing declines in employment among those working in countryside farms and forests must be checked. President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. himself has assumed the agriculture portfolio to underline the importance of achieving significant growth amid headwinds brought on by global supply disruptions.

The administration is also priming the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Based on January 2022 figures, MSMEs generated a total of 5,380,815 jobs or 62.66 percent of the country's total employment with micro enterprises producing the biggest share at 29.38 percent.

Lack of job opportunities also spawns higher numbers of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Two weeks ago, President Marcos vowed that the government will intensify the creation of meaningful opportunities so that lesser numbers of citizens will be compelled to seek jobs abroad – and more importantly, those that return would opt to stay in their homeland.

Surely, tens of thousands of OFWs are hoping and praying that they need not spend more Christmases abroad – if only they could be assured of secure and well-paying jobs right here.