SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) — The employment rate in the Ilocos Region increased to 96.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024, exceeding the national average of 96.1%, according to a March 10 report from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region 1.
The employment rate measures the percentage of the working-age population that is employed.
NEDA Regional Director Stephanie Christiansen attributed the rise to seasonal employment changes, an influx of recent graduates seeking jobs and increased holiday-related employment in the fourth quarter.
“The region’s employment rate increased from 94.5% in the third quarter to 96.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024,” Christiansen said.
About 2,214,000 people were employed in the region last quarter, up from 2,093,000 in the third quarter of 2024.
The report also showed about 46,000 fewer unemployed people in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the third quarter of 2024, dropping from 122,000 to 76,000.
Increased employment means families will have more money to spend, businesses will earn more and the Ilocos Region’s economy will strengthen.
Contributing to the fourth-quarter increase was the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) conduct of 105 job fairs around the region, in partnership with national government agencies and private companies, where 3,701 job seekers were hired on the spot.
A total of 237,155 displaced and disadvantaged workers also found emergency employment through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), performing public works such as cleaning public facilities.
DILEEP provides livelihood support and emergency jobs to help vulnerable and marginalized workers earn a sustainable income.
The report also showed about 117,736 job seekers were placed through Public Employment Services Offices (PESO) for better matching of their skills with available jobs in the public and private sectors.
Christiansen said 82,448 candidates were hired in the private sector.
“In the meantime, 28,161 people — nearly a quarter — found work in the public sector. The remaining 1,961 candidates were hired for positions abroad,” she added.
The Ilocos Region has a population of 3.7 million in the productive sector, defined as people 15 and older.
About 2.29 million of that figure are in the labor force, working in the public and private sectors, as well as abroad. (AMB/CCMT, PIA La Union)
