According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) the number of unemployed persons is at 2.60 million in July 2022. The number of unemployed persons in July 2022 resulted to an unemployment rate of 5.2 percent. In June 2022, the number of unemployed persons was estimated at 2.99 million.

The labor force participation rate (LFPR) in July 2022 was placed at 65.2 percent, translating to 49.99 million Filipinos 15 years and older who were either employed or unemployed. Since the start of 2022, the LFPR in July 2022 of 65.2 percent was the second highest rate reported, while the highest was recorded in March 2022 at 65.4 percent. LFPR in July 2021 was posted at 59.4 percent.

The average weekly hours worked by an employed person in July 2022 was estimated at 40.5 hours. This was higher compared to the estimates in April 2022 (40.1 hours), May 2022 (39.8 hours), and June 2022 (40.3 hours), but lower than the reported average weekly hours worked in January 2022 (41.8 hours), February 2022 (40.8 hours), and March 2022 (40.6 hours).

Underemployed persons were estimated at 6.54 million in July 2022. This estimate was lower than the 8.77 million reported number of underemployed persons in July 2021, but higher than the 5.89 million estimate in June 2022. Underemployment rate was placed at 13.8 percent in July 2022, from a high rate of 21.0 percent in the same period last year. The underemployment rate in July 2022 was, however, higher than the 12.6 percent underemployment rate reported in the previous month. Underemployed persons are employed persons who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work.

This current labor stock data of our country posits the need for us to value our work. Finding a “rare-to-find-nice-to-have” labor opportunity in our current job market, somewhat alludes to the fact that we need to treasure every opportunity we have to excel in the jobs we have. Here are some of the TIPS I recommend:

There is no substitute to doing your work excellently: You should not just do your job, perform, serve or produce but you should go a few more steps farther. You should do your work excellently. Be the best of who you are, do the best of what you do.

Be productive: Productivity is measured not just by doing things excellently but also by doing them quickly. Time is of the essence in doing things. You don’t just do things and produce but you should also not waste time in the process of doing things.

Work on time, be on time: While it is stated that you should work only within a specified period of time, you should show up for work and end your work on time. It is always proper behaviour to show up for work 15 minutes before your required time for work. It is also proper behaviour to rest at the prescribed rest period and end your work on time.

Take care of equipment, machines and tools: These things are investments which your employer placed their money on. Because equipment, machines and tools are capital investments and are expensive, your employer expects you to take care of them.

Be clean, work clean: Be neat in yourself and also in your work. Appear for work not just in proper attire but also having showered and groomed. You should also be neat in your work. Clean up your work place after your task and clean up your tools and arrange them properly after your work.

Develop good relationship with your employer and with your fellow employees: Your work environment does not only include tools, equipment and materials. They also include people whom you work with and people who have charge over you. In order to have productive work, you should have good relations with your fellow employees and with your employer.

We owe loving our job to all those around us – to our customers, colleagues, partners, family and most importantly … to ourselves. “If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go out and sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Handel and Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well” (Martin Luther King, Jr.).

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