Davao City: Davao City's employment rate increased from 93.7 percent in 2021 to 95.9 percent in 2023, according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Labor Force Survey released Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the PSA 11 (Davao Region) credited the consistent growth to the city's Public Employment Service Office (PESO), which facilitated the hiring of 105,719 jobseekers between 2022 and 2024. During these three years, local businesses posted 148,844 job vacancies.

PESO head Lilibeth Pantinople explained that the office employed multiple strategies to connect workers with employers. Annual job fairs resulted in 37,721 hires in 2022 and 34,870 in 2023. The Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program provided additional opportunities for displaced workers, while the PESO Employment Information System (PEIS) online platform helped fill 33,128 positions in 2024.

"We are currently working to establish Barangay Employment Services Offices to improve job vacancy dissemination at the community level," Pantinople said. The PSA is expected to release the 2024 employment data for Davao City by mid-year.