Manila, July 8 -- The Marcos administration is expanding government interventions to cushion the impact of declining employment and assist workers affected by global economic pressures, Malacanang said Wednesday.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the government is closely monitoring the labor market after the latest Labor Force Survey showed the number of unemployed Filipinos rose to 2.5 million in May.

Castro said the decline in employment was anticipated due to factors such as the global oil crisis and its impact on key sectors, including agriculture.

"Hindi naman po ito pinapabayaan. Lagi po itong minu-monitor ng ahensiya ng gobyerno at marami pong ginagawa dahil nga po, although sinasabi natin na sa ngayon, ito 'yung nararam...