Filipinos who wished they could have more work, categorized as underemployed, rose to 7.33 million in September from 7.03 million in August, the monthly Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
That is equivalent to an underemployment rate of 15.4 percent , up from August’s 14.7 percent.
In September last year, the underemployed numbered 6.17 million for an underemployment rate of 14.2 percent.
Unemployed individuals, meanwhile, numbered 2.5 million, equivalent to an unemployment rate of 5 percent, which is lower than last year’s unemployment rate of 8.9 percent (4.28 million Filipinos).
The number of employed individuals stood at 47.58 million as of September, down from 47.87 million in August but higher compared to last year’s 43.58 million for the same month.
This translates to an employment rate of 95 percent out of the country’s 50.08 million employable Filipinos aged 15 years old and above.
Philippine chief statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the employment rate is an improvement over last year’s 91.1 percent in which employable Filipinos numbered 47.87 million. The September figure is also up compared to August’s 94.7 percent.
The September unemployment rate is also an improvement over August’s 5.3 percent.
Filipinos in September dropped compared to August’s 50.55 million as school season has started. About 75.7 percent of employable male were part of the labor force while 54.8 percent of employable women were in the workforce.
Unemployment among men stood at 4.5 percent compared to the women’s 5.6 percent. Underemployment for men was at 16.6 percent while women underemployment was at 13.7 percent.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said in a statement September’s labor figure is a “new record-low since the onset of the pandemic.”
“The recent survey results show the gains of the full reopening of our economy. The government will leverage on this momentum by strengthening policy interventions and investing in innovation and technology systems geared toward generating higher-quality employment that provides adequate income for Filipino workers and their families,” said Arsenio Balisacan, NEDA secretary.
Balisacan highlighted the need for effective implementation of emergency employment programs and other forms of assistance to immediately assist those who were hard-hit by the calamities.
Balisacan also stressed the crucial role of the timely passage of the 2023 budget and expediting the 2022 budget implementation in accelerating recovery and mitigating impact of external risks, particularly the job-generating infrastructure projects.
“With the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 nearing its completion, we aim to strategize for a more efficient labor market by improving the quality of education, providing opportunities for life-long learning, skills development and options to obtain micro-credentials, enhancing job facilitation programs, and strengthening linkages among industry, business, and training institutions,” he said.
Labor group Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) yesterday expressed concern over the high underemployment rate.
Josua Mata, secretary-general of SENTRO said it is worrisome that a high number of employed individuals remain discontented with their present type of employment.
“It shows our economy continue to be inefficient in generating the jobs that we need,” said Mata.
He said the high underemployment rate is indicative of the quality of jobs available to the labor force.
“The increasing underemployment tells us the quality of jobs being generated leaves much to be desired,” said Mata.
Mata said the Marcos administration must focus on creating quality local jobs.
“The government should start considering the labor movement’s calls for a more robust public employment program and an active agro-industrial policy,” said Mata. – With Gerard Naval
