Crisis trims electronics workforce

EMPLOYMENT in the electronics industry fell in 2008 due to the global economic crisis, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said. The NSO said total employment stood at 180,415 down from the 219,312 in 2006.

Manufacturers of semiconductor devices and other electronic components recorded the highest number of jobs at 127,172, followed by makers of computers, computer peripheral equipment and accessories at 44,302, and of TV and radio receivers, sound or radio recording at 6,023.

Exports of electronic products contracted by 8.31 percent to $28.5 billion in 2008 from $31.09 billion the year before.

From 1999 to 2006, total employment for the industry depicted an increasing trend.

“This is a remarkable achievement for the industry since the total employment grew by 72 percent more in just seven years,” the NSO said.

The agency said the electronics industry has been considered the driver of growth for the manufacturing sector in recent years as its share to the total value of output reached as high as 28 percent in 2001 and 20 percent in 2008.

In terms of employment, the industry share to total manufacturing stood at 20.9 percent in 2008, as against the whole manufacturing sector’s 862,665 employees.

The NSO said the total compensation for the electronics industry amounted to P38.3 billion representing 22.2 percent of total compensation paid to workers in the entire manufacturing sector of P172.3 billion.

Semiconductor devices and other electronic components had the biggest contribution to total compensation for the electronics industry with almost P28.3 billion, followed by computers, computer peripheral equipment and accessories and office accounting and computing machinery classes combined with P8.4 billion.

Workers compensation among makers of TV and radio receivers, sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus and associated goods reached P1 billion.

The industry’s average monthly compensation ranged from P14, 376 to P18,526 with semi-conductor devices and other electronic components industry paying the highest.

The agency said the total revenue generated by the electronics industry hit P632.6 billion with semi-conductor and other electronic components contributing P445.2 billion.

Total earnings from computers, computer peripheral equipment and accessories combined with other office amounted to P160.2 billion, while the office and accounting machinery generated P4.7 billion.

Semiconductor devices and other electronic components incurred the biggest cost among all the industry classes at P385.4 billion representing 72 percent of the total.

Office and accounting machinery had the least cost with almost P4 billion. –DARWIN G. AMOJELAR, Manila Times