Labor Says Its Web site Getting Good Turnout

Wednesday March 5, 2008


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Labor says its Web site getting good turnout

By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff



THE Department of Labor’s Division of Employment Services and Training says there has been a “good” turn out for its Web site registration, with 54 local jobseekers already signing in for 167 job vacancy announcements.

Division Director Alfred Pangelinan said 63 employers, mostly from the private sector, have posted job vacancies on Labor’s Web site which came online on Feb. 4.

Initial statistics show that there are three job vacancies for every resident seeking employment.

The division’s 2007 figures showed that only 16 percent of those who registered were eventually hired.

The CNMI private sector pays $3.55 an hour, and most local prefer to work for the government which pays higher wages and offers more generous benefits.

Labor data from January to September 2007 showed that 342 were hired among the 2,114 residents who registered with the Division of Employment Services and Training.

These figures have not varied significantly since 2001.

Labor advised employers and jobseekers they could start transacting business on Feb. through its Web site, www.marianaslabor.net.

Designed by Ron Smith, the Web site allows employers and employees to post job vacancy announcements or submit employment applications.

With the implementation of the controversial labor law, P.L. 15-108, two months ago, Labor started enhancing its employment services program.

Pangelinan, in an earlier interview, said an employer has 14 days to inform Labor about the “action” it took with the jobseeker referred by the department.

An employer has to explain and justify to Labor why it did not hire a referred applicant.

Job vacancy announcements in newspapers are now posted for two consecutive days in a week, and this has to be for two weeks, for a total of four newspaper clippings in 15 days.

All companies now are required to maintain a 20 percent resident workforce.