Number of local jobseekers triple in ’98

The number of resident workers seeking employment in the private sector has jumped more than triple in 1998 compared to the previous year, a sign that maybe attributed to the worsening economic crisis in the Northern Marianas, according to officials.

But the number of qualified local people hired by companies has also shot up at the same rate, widening opportunities for residents to enter into the field largely comprised of foreign manpower, said Alfred Pangelinan, director of the Division of Employment under the labor and immigration department.

“I don’t know whether (the reason) is the economic situation or it is because of the public notices that we put out (for them) to come in and register with us if they are looking for job,” he told in an interview.

Pangelinan disclosed in a meeting yesterday with members of the legislature that some 1,516 residents signed up last year with the employment division for job placement in private businesses.

The figure was up by 170 percent from the record in 1997, which had about 561 job-seekers, the DOLI official said.

Although the employment division only refers residents to companies which have vacancies or are about to renew the contracts of their foreign workers, some 260 people were accepted in 1998 to fill in various positions in the private sector.

According to Pangelinan, this was an increase of nearly 180 percent from the 93 residents who eventually found jobs during the previous year. “We are working hard and perhaps 1999 will be a better year for us,” the director added.

But the statistics do not indicate if these workers are locally-born U.S. citizens, Micronesians or otherwise. They also exclude residents who had been hired in local companies without seeking assistance from the government agency.

Pangelinan told lawmakers the division is trying to find job placement for the local workers and that a lot of the companies have in fact put them in available positions.

He lamented, however, that in some cases, there are some people they had assisted and got employed who quit working “because they don’t want the job.”

The companies are required under the law to consider the application of any resident referred by the employment division before hiring or renewing contract workers.

Pangelinan maintained his office still screens whether an applicant has the minimum qualification prior to the referral. “If they are qualified, we require employers to hire them. We will not authorize (the job vacancy announcement),” he told the meeting.

At least five applications were denied the in the past month alone because of this regulation, the director pointed out.

But House Majority Floor leader Ana S. Teregeyo underscored the need for resident workers to stick with their jobs in the private sector, saying they are “concerned about our local people seeking employment, but we also need their cooperation.”

Leaders of the local business community have previously raised their concern that some of the resident workers don’t last too long in their jobs despite efforts by the private sector to train them.

Pangelinan expressed hope that the CNMI Legislature would put in place measures to clarify further the authority of the division in a bid to accommodate the increasing number of people seeking their assistance.

The Northern Marianas is reeling from its worst crisis in years due to the fallout of the prolonged recession in Asia, its main tourism market and investments source, that has forced closure of more than 1,000 businesses and layoff of thousands of nonresident workers in the past one and a half year.