The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will set up three mega job fairs this month to address the nation's increasing unemployment rate.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said the department will host the “Bagong Pilipinas Job Fair” on Sept. 13 across 69 locations nationwide, adding that it is expected to be participated in by a total of 915 employers.
He said the job fairs aim to fill 67,022 job vacancies in various sectors.
The job fairs will focus on positions such as 5,597 for production operators and workers, 1,420 for customer service representatives, 977 for cashiers, baggers, and sales clerks, 502 for laborers, carpenters, and painters, and 433 for waiters, servers, cooks, and service crew.
Key industries participating include manufacturing, business process outsourcing, retail and sales, construction, and financial and insurance activities.
In addition, two more job fairs will be held from Sept. 18 to 20 at the World Trade Center and from Sept. 19 to 21 at the SMX Convention Center.
This initiative is in response to the rising unemployment rate, which surged from 3.1 percent in June to 4.7 percent in July, coupled with a decline in employed Filipinos from 50.28 million to 47.70 million.