Davao City: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE XI) has recognized the increased demand for employment due to the high unemployment rate in the Davao Region brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
This can be directly remedied if the working force would resort to skills acquisition which would open new opportunities for potential job seekers.
Based on the data provided by DOLE XI, the Davao Region is currently seeing an increase in the unemployment rate which was at 17.9% at the end of June this year.
This is due to a 50% decrease in employment in almost all sectors within the region where a total of 5,517 individuals lost their jobs from January to June.
In light of this, DOLE XI’s Regional Focal on Employment Marlito D. Ayala discussed that skills acquisition can be a great way for job seekers to increase their competitiveness when it comes to seeking for employment despite the set limitations under the ‘New Normal.’
“Now, under the current circumstances, what I can advise job seekers is to study since it is needed to learn of new ways to seek employment and add more to our skill sets,” Ayala said in the vernacular.
Ayala brought up that there are certain jobs that are in-demand where the use of the internet can be a means to submit work outputs for each worker.
“We have observed that there a jobs that are productive despite the fact that you’re just at home since you can use the internet to submit your work output…for example data entry jobs, graphics and design jobs, virtual assistants, editing, drawing or content writing,” Ayala said in the vernacular.
The advantage of said job opportunities is that job seekers, once armed with the proper skill sets, will have access to a wider job market since employment will no longer be limited to their respective localities.
“The advantage of this [online job] is since they [workers] will not be limited to employers within Davao City. They may have employers who are residing at the other side of the world,” Ayala said in the vernacular when discussing a wider range of opportunities for online job seekers. (PIA XI/KPLCaro)