METRO FIRMS CRY OUT FOR 'QUALIFIED' MANPOWER
METRO MANILA, APRIL 18, 2008 (STAR) By Mayen Jaymalin - Majority of commercial establishments in the National Capital Region (NCR) are suffering from a shortage of qualified workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.
“Results of a survey showed that nearly half or 39.3 percent of the 5,000 companies involved in the study reported recruitment problems or a shortage of qualified applicants,” Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said.
The survey, done by the DOLE’s Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics, showed that many companies are having difficulty recruiting new workers.
Labor officials earlier said the dearth of qualified workers stems from a mismatch between the courses taken by the workers and what the firms really need as well as the lack of basic skills such as fluency in English.
They also said the business sector needs workers with experience, something that fresh graduates lack.
Another problem affecting majority of companies at this time, Roque said, is the high labor turnover rate or the “pirating” of workers from other companies.
“The figures indicated that companies are more into hiring the best and the brightest people even in the midst of manpower shortage,” Roque pointed out.
Other issues adversely affecting the operations of companies in Metro Manila are absenteeism and tardiness of workers, theft, fraud, low productivity and lack of work ethics.
The least among the concerns aired by company owners are loyalty and interpersonal problems.
Based on records from the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), there are a total of 64,386 vacancies in various firms nationwide. For the past three years, the DOLE has recorded an increasing number of unfilled positions despite the high unemployment rate in the country.
Call center agents and nurses are among the most in demand, with close to 2,000 vacancies reported last month. The DOLE also reported the need for qualified technical support staff and office clerks.
A list provided by the DOLE showed that among the positions that remain unfilled – despite the high number of interested applicants – are those for sales clerk, general carpenter, service crew, cashier, factory worker, construction carpenter, accounting clerk, steelman, marketing assistant, human resource development clerk, account executive, sales engineer, mason, information technology specialist, and graphic artist.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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