Employers said that 52.66 percent of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have closed down permanently and partially due to the prolonged lockdown the Duterte administration has imposed since March this year.
In addition, the survey also showed that 12.55 percent of MSMEs have limited operation while 34.79 percent have managed to continue their operations as of end April.
Aside from local employment, Lacson said that thousands of overseas Filipino workers are awaiting repatriation. “It will swell unemployment figure,” he warned. “The Philippine economy is consumption driven and the fear of COVID-19 instilled in them will depress demand again leading to production cutback, loss of jobs and economic hardship,” he said.
The survey also showed that 17.7 percent or about 8 million workers have been rendered jobless.