Only over 2,000 applicants for 12,500 opening in Davao job fair

JOB SEEKERS totalled only 2,027 on the first day of the two-day job fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment-Davao (DoLE-9) in Davao City, where there are 12,500 employment opportunities on offer. DoLE-9 Assistant Regional Director Jason P. Balais said many applicants were for service crew and call center positions. However, the most in-demand applicants were skilled workers for the construction industry, including masons, carpenters and tile setters. “This could be because of the government’s Build, Build, Build program,” he said. Around 100 applicants were hired on site while 1,716 were asked to submit documents or scheduled for further interviews. Mr. Balais expects the number of applicants who will be immediately hired to increase on the second day, May 2, of the job fair held at the Gaisano Mall. — Carmencita A. Carillo