Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 9) — Filipino employers hired fewer workers in June, with authorities placing at 2.33 million the number of Filipinos without work.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed Wednesday that the figure was higher than the 2.17 million estimated a month prior.
This translates to a national unemployment rate of 4.5%.
The number of the unemployed saw an increase despite improvements in the country’s labor force participation, which reached 51.17 million, up from May’s 50.43 million.
Meanwhile, the number of employed persons for the month was also higher at 48.84 million against 48.26 million in May.
Underemployed persons or those wanting to work for longer hours or have an additional job, stood at 5.87 million.
Asked about the increase in Filipinos without work, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said about 159,000 individuals in the labor force failed to secure a job.
“‘Yung dagdag sa labor force participation in June, hindi lahat ‘yun nagiging employed,” he told a briefing.
[Translation: Not everyone who joined the labor force in June got employed.]
During his presentation, Mapa also noted that there was a 233,000 drop in employment in fishing and aquaculture from June of last year to June 2023.
“There’s a big drop in value production in agriculture, particularly fisheries,” he said. “Marami raw nagsara na fish ponds sa Regions 3, 4 (Many fish ponds in Regions 3, 4 reportedly closed).”
On the other hand, the sectors with the biggest employment year-on-year were the following: accommodation and food service activities; agriculture and forestry; wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; other service activities; and public administration and defense, compulsary social security.
Meanwhile, Mapa said the impact of recent typhoons in employment may be reflected in July to August data.
