BUDAPEST – The world economic crisis could take 10 years to run its course, the IMF’s chief economist Olivier Blanchard told Hungarian business news site Portfolio.hu in an interview published on Wednesday.

The Asian Development Bank made an upward revision in its 2012 economic growth forecast for the Philippines, to 5.5 percent from its earlier projection of 4.8 percent due to the economy’s strong first half performance.

The ILO Director-General calls for urgent action to make teaching an attractive career once again. GENEVA (ILO News) – The economic crisis has strongly affected working conditions and salaries for many teachers, said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder in a statement issued ahead of World Teachers Day.

Data presented at a G20 meeting in Geneva shows that youth unemployment rates remain alarming, ranging from about 8 per cent to over 50 per cent in 17 of the 20 member countries. The G20 Task Force on Employment agreed to promote quality apprenticeships.

In an interview with The Times newspaper, the head of ILO warned that austerity measures in southern European countries risk having “quite harmful consequences”. He was more positive about the outlook in Britain.

Looking back at the past 50 years, how do we assess the status of women in this country, particularly in light of recent debates on the reproductive health (RH) bill? While women make up over half of the population and their contribution to society has clearly been incalculable, a disparity remains between the fulfillment of…

The Philippine economy is in a sound position today in part because of the steady growth and size of remittances of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) to the country. The volume of these remittances has continually grown over time as more and more Filipino workers have found jobs abroad.

TAX BREAKS granted to the remittance industry are worth the loss in government revenues since they encourage savings and investments among migrant workers, the National Tax Research Center (NTRC) said.

MULTINATIONAL financial services firm Citi sees the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 5 percent to 5.3 percent, which is as at the low end of the government’s target, this year.

Jobs in developing countries such as the Philippines is a cornerstone of development and critical for reducing poverty, making cities work, and providing youth with alternatives to violence, a new World Bank report said on Tuesday.

OCTOBER BEING National Statistics Month, it is particularly timely to give credit where it is due: to the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) in general, and the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) in particular, for doing a great job — and I use the word “great” advisedly — in spite of the tremendous financial and personnel…

THE PROPONENTS of higher tax on sin products, especially on cigarettes, argue that earmarking of incremental revenues is one way of ensuring the adequacy of government spending for basic health care. While I agree that the government is perhaps not spending enough for health care, I doubt that earmarking of government revenue would be a…

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III is squaring off against his country’s powerful Catholic church in a bid to give people free access to the means to limit the size of their families. The predominately Catholic country has one of Asia’s fastest-growing populations together with significant levels of chronic poverty. While neighbors have accelerated…

MANILA – The number of employed Filipinos still looking for extra income hit a 6-year high this year, the Asian Development Bank said on Wednesday. Citing the most recent labor force data of the National Statistics Office, Norio Usui, ADB senior country economist, said the 22.7 percent underemployment rate in July is the worst since…

MANILA, Philippines – Even if the government achieves its programmed deficit spending, it will not exceed its growth assumption this year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said. The ADB now projects the Philippine economy to grow 5.5% in 2012, higher than its initial estimate of 4.8%. This is lower than the government’s official growth target…

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Oct 3 (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has announced that President Aquino instructed several national line agencies to intensify the campaign on child labor-free barangay.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION ITUC OnLine ITUC’s reaction to the World Bank’s report on jobs Brussels, 02 October 2012 (ITUC OnLine): Responding to the launch today of the World Bank’s World Development Report 2013, devoted to the theme of “Jobs”, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow welcomed the publication as recognition by the world’s largest development…

The global economy will need to have created 600 million new jobs between 2005 and 2020 to absorb young people entering the work force, spur development, empower women and prevent unrest, the World Bank said.

QUEZON CITY, Oct 2 (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday unveiled the Community-Based Employment Program (CBEP) Website and Online Monitoring System that houses the name, demographic profile, occupation, employment duration, and income of every CBEP beneficiary throughout the Philippines, in line with the celebration of the National Statistics Month.

MANILA, Philippines – The head of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in the country said the Philippines still lags behind neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in labor productivity as he urged for stronger social protection for displaced workers and transparency in governance to attract investments.

RIYADH – Saudi Arabia will begin accepting applications for domestic workers from the Philippines on Monday after the two governments resolved a row over minimum pay that had prompted a ban, state media said.

Latin America will grow at a slower pace than last year, primarily due to weaker growth in Argentina and Brazil, a United Nations report has suggested. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) forecast the whole area would slow to 3.2% in 2012, down from 4.3% last year.

Cancer-related medical costs are expected to soar in the coming decade, making it more important than ever for mesothelioma victims to seek compensation for their asbestos-related disease.

In his first interview as Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Guy Ryder gives an overview of the major challenges facing the world of work and the ILO. GENEVA (ILO News) – International labour standards must be preserved and promoted if the world is to recover from the economic and employment crisis, ILO Director-General Guy…

Global youth unemployment has become a reservoir of wasted talent and a tinderbox of frustration. With 75 million young people jobless around the world, tackling this crisis must be a key priority.

A Philippine-made catamaran sailing yacht made by Ces Craft Philippines. The Philippines may be on the brink of a manufacturing “renaissance” that can add a leg to its structural growth story, says the German financial giant Deutsche Bank, citing the breadth of industries from tires to boats that are expanding capacities.

Asbestos is a recognized carcinogen that causes life-threatening respiratory disease including mesothelioma and asbestosis when inhaled or swallowed. Federal regulations govern the handling, transportation and disposal of asbestos-containing materials during demolition and asbestos removal projects. Individuals and companies that disregard asbestos handling regulations may endanger workers’ health, public health and face serious penalties.

Anybody using popular social networks or who publishes online is now at risk of a long prison term Manila: An international rights watchdog said a new Philippine law governing the use of the Internet would also impact on freedom of expression as much it aims to address cybercrimes.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to lift its ban on Filipino maids after agreeing to a $400 monthly minimum wage, it has been reported. Philippine vice president Jejomar Binay, who oversees the welfare of Filipino overseas workers, said in a statement that the Gulf kingdom will lift the ban which was imposed in June 2011.

Many Filipino maids in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are still getting salaries lower than the minimum wage, a report of the news site Emirates 24/7 said. The report quoted Joana, a Filipina maid as saying she knows she is entitled to a higher wage but chose to accept a lower offer because…