IMPLEMENTING well-thought-out and sustainable policies is needed to improve employment growth in the agriculture sector and overall employment in the country, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said.
The January 2019 round of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country’s registered total employment of 41.4 million was lower by 0.9 percent, or 387,000 less workers than in January 2018.
This was mainly due to the 1.7 million employment loss in the agriculture sector, which overshadowed the combined 1.3 million additional employment in the industry and services sectors.
“The prevalence of low-productivity jobs in the agriculture sector remains a challenge. Sustainable solutions such as shifting rice farmers to high-value crops, promoting crop diversification, accelerating development of local infrastructure, and training for farmers on technological advances are critical to raising productivity in agriculture,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.
The continued decline in agricultural employment is also largely attributed to rising cost of inputs amid low profit, limited access to credit, poor infrastructure, and vulnerability to environmental risks. (PR)