ILOILO City – As Iloilo City’s employment rate continues its upward trend, local authorities are setting their sights beyond the city’s borders, hoping to attract workers from neighboring provinces.
The city government’s Public Employment Services Office (PESO) manager Gabriel Felix Umadhay highlighted the city’s employment gains, noting that as of the latest data, 96.2 percent of the city’s labor force is employed.
“We are having a successful employment rate of 96.2 percent. That equates to a total of 294,711 workforce we have employed in Iloilo City,” Umadhay said.
This marks a steady increase from previous years, with employment rates recorded at 94.6 percent in 2022 and 95.6 percent in 2023.
Unemployment has also seen a downward trend, dropping from 5.4 percent in 2022 to the current 3.8 percent, while underemployment fell from 14.2 percent to 11.9 percent in the same period.
Beyond these numbers, the city is looking to widen its labor pool by drawing in job seekers from other parts of the region.
“We want to show investors that Iloilo City is prepared for their businesses,” Umadhay said, emphasizing that a strong and diverse workforce would make the city more attractive to industries looking to set up operations.
Key to Iloilo City’s employment success is its proactive approach to job placement, including monthly job fairs, special recruitment events, and on-campus hiring programs that connect students with employers before they even graduate.
“This is a testament that we are aggressive in our approach to capturing the labor force as well as providing inclusive programs so everybody can participate,” Umadhay added.
As businesses expand, the demand for skilled workers remains high, with nurses, civil engineers, and accounting personnel among the most sought-after professionals in the city.
With a growing workforce and continued investment in job placement programs, Iloilo City is positioning itself not just as an employment hub but as a key driver of economic opportunities in Western Visayas. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency)/PN
