QUEZON CITY – The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) hosted a public webinar titled “Mapping the Workforce: Insights on Labor Force Surveys and Labor Market Trends” on November 28, 2024, via Zoom and Facebook Live.

The webinar aimed to enhance understanding of current labor force measurement standards and their implications and sought to promote a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to labor market analysis that aligns with international standards while addressing the unique context of the Philippine workforce.

Key resource speakers included representatives from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – Social Sector Statistics Service, who delivered a presentation on “Labor Force Survey and Employment Statistics Concepts.” The Bureau of Local Employment also shared key findings of the “Labor Market Trends: Health Labor Market Analysis Report 2023.”

The webinar also served to address public inquiries regarding labor force survey results. In a recent Senate hearing on the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) proposed 2025 budget last September 5, questions were raised regarding the "one-hour" employment criterion, a standard indicating that any person with at least one hour of work in a reference week is considered employed, with calls for a re-evaluation of the employment definition to better reflect the Philippine labor force's actual experiences. DOLE has emphasized the importance of maintaining international standards for comparability yet acknowledges the need to review how these standards apply to the Philippine context.

By fostering informed dialogue and advancing labor market research, ILS reaffirms its commitment to supporting DOLE’s mandate of improving the welfare of the Filipino workforce and ensuring a more responsive and equitable labor policy framework.

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