THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has vowed to intensify efforts to create quality, regular and decent jobs.

Labor Secretary Bievenido Laguesma said on Thursday the department would coordinate with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which chairs the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Inter-Agency Council, to implement the national employment master plan in line with the President's directives to generate at least three million jobs by 2028.

The TBP is "in line with our priorities, and the outcomes that we desire, and strategies stated in the Philippine Development Plan, the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan, the Strategic Investment Priority Plan, and the Workforce Development Plan," Laguesma said.

The Philippine labor market continues to be strong and resilient, achieving a record-low unemployment rate of 3.1 percent in June 2024, the second lowest since April 2005.

This uptrend is driven by robust growth, particularly in construction; wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; and accommodation and food service activities sectors, which collectively contributed to a 96.9 percent employment rate or 50.28 million employed persons, higher by 1.44 million than the 48.84 million a year ago.

There were 577,000 new workers, with some already finding employment in June 2024.

Female workers increased by 346,000 workers year-on-year.

In June, the country's employment rate was 96.9 percent, higher than the 95.5 percent a year earlier and the 95.9 percent in May.

Based on the latest Labor Force Survey, the number of employed persons in June was at 50.28 million, higher than the 48.84 million a year ago and the 48.87 million in May.

The unemployment rate in June 2024 dropped to 3.1 percent, from 4.5 percent in June 2023 and 4.1 percent in May 2024.

Despite the gains, the DoLE recognizes the need to address underemployment, which increased by 208,000 year-on-year, equivalent to the 12.1 percent underemployment rate nationwide in June. It attributed the increase to seasonal and temporary jobs.