Alfred A. Pangelinan, the department’s citizen job availability section director, yesterday said the visits will assist the department in finding private sector jobs for local residents and other U.S. citizens.
His team has already visited one establishment.
“The result was very good. We received positive response. The employer was very cooperative,” Pangelinan said.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial signed Public Law 17-1 on March 22 which reorganized the CNMI’s Department of Labor and created a job availability section.
His office, Pangelinan said, is tasked to forecast job needs over a “rolling 12-month period.”
He said they will look into skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled jobs occupied by foreign workers.
Pangelinan said they will ask employers to submit an updated list of their foreign workforce.
Labor, he added, wants to make sure that employers are hiring the required percentage of U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
At least 30 percent of a workforce must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Pangelinan said they will also get the latest employer’s withholding income tax return, as well as a list of jobs that an employer needs and will still need after 2011.
