Only 16% of job vacancies filled in Labor Day fairs

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Western Visayas hosted its annual Labor Day job fairs across the region on Wednesday, May 1. Of the more than 20,000 local positions available, only 16 percent were filled through immediate hires.

According to DOLE, out of 20,320 local vacancies from 243 local employers, only 328 were Hired On The Spot (HOTS). This included 129 in Negros Occidental, 66 in Iloilo, 55 in Aklan, 41 in Capiz, 25 in Guimaras, and 12 in Antique.

The fairs saw a low turnout, with only 2,799 of the 6,483 registered job seekers actually attending, which is just 43.17 percent of those registered.

John Mandario, Information Officer III for DOLE-Western Visayas, explained that the figures do not yet account for near-hires—candidates whose applications were processed during the fair but who may be hired shortly after.

Mandario noted that hiring often depends on the urgent needs of employers and the qualifications of the job seekers.

“It really depends on the needs of the companies. If the companies urgently need them now, and they see [that the applicant] was highly qualified. That is one reason,” Mandario said in a phone interview.

“In Capiz, one nurse was immediately hired bound for Saudi Arabia. Because of the urgency of the employers sometimes, that is why the agencies hire on the spot,” he added.

He also remarked on the low turnout of registered applicants, suggesting that it might be due to concurrent job fairs hosted by local Public Employment Services Offices (PESOs) and other private entities.

As to overseas employment recruitment during the job fair, Mandario said that they are still organizing the data submitted by the Department of Migrant Workers at this time.

The job fair included a total of 4,989 interviews, with significant participation in Negros Occidental and Iloilo. It also featured various activities such as skills enhancement for 409 participants, livelihood assistance for 2,088, entrepreneurship opportunities for 349, and one-stop shop frontline services from employment-related agencies for 855 attendees.

DOLE regularly holds job fairs on Labor Day, Independence Day, and the department’s anniversary on December 8.